Policemen beat boy to death in Bihar

The Mahadalit (weakest among the oppressed class) boy was charged with stealing a CD of a Bhojpuri movie from a lower-rank official’s residence. Govind’s family members alleged that the boy was picked up by the police two days back for interrogation in a CD theft case.

On Thursday, the police informed his family that the boy had committed suicide in the lock-up, and the body was being taken to the Sadar hospital for post-mortem. “The fact is that they beat Govind so mercilessly in the lock-up that he succumbed to his injuries,” said Ramjanam, the victim’s relative. Enraged over the custodial death of Govind, the locals hit the streets on Friday and blocked Siwan-Gopalganj highway. Shouting slogans against the police, the irate mob demanded punitive action against the guilty cops. In the melee, some rural women assaulted a woman assistant sub-inspector Poonam Kumari too.

“A thorough probe has been ordered into the case. Those policemen found guilty will have
to face the music,” said DIG, Saran range, Sunil Kumar.

The custodial death in Siwan took place close on the heels of a custodial gang-rape of a 19-year-old woman undertrial in neighbouring Saran district.