Cops booked in Agniveer aspirant's mysterious death in Pauri

Over two months after an Agniveer aspirant charged with theft died under mysterious circumstances, a case was registered against two police officers on Saturday on the orders of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, a senior official said.

In August, Kedar Singh Bhandari (19) had travelled to Kotdwar with a friend to take part in an Agniveer recruitment rally. After failing to qualify the recruitment exam, he stayed at a hotel in Tapovan on his way home. He was accused of theft by the hotel authorities and taken into custody by the police, the official said.

However, Bhandari allegedly fled from police custody and jumped into the Ganga from a bridge in Lakshman Jhoola on August 22, he added.

Bhandari's father had alleged a conspiracy behind his son's death and sought the registration of an FIR against the police officers and a few others, including the hotel manager.

Shrinagar Deputy Superintendent of Police Shyam Dutt Nautiyal said a case was registered against Lakshman Jhoola police station inspector in-charge Santosh Singh Kunwar and Tapovan police station sub-inspector Ashish Kumar under sections 342 (wrongful confinement) and 365 (kidnapping or abduction with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person) of the Indian Penal Code.