Electrician dies in jail, kin cry foul | Lucknow News
Lucknow: A 29-year-old electrician, arrested on theft charges, died under suspicious circumstances in jail on Friday with his family alleging police brutality.The deceased, Mithun Kumar of Sitapur, lived with his wife and two children in a rented house in Aashiana area.
According to the family, Mithun was picked up by police from his workplace on Dec 16 following a theft reported at the house where he went for electrical work. His elder sister Manorama alleged that the family was not informed, and they kept searching for him for three days, repeatedly approaching the Aashiana police without any help. It was only after a call to Dial-112 that police admitted Mithun was in custody. The family claims Mithun revealed he was taken to a police outpost, where he was allegedly beaten with belts and sticks and kicked repeatedly on the chest by policemen, leaving him in severe pain. Despite his deteriorating condition, he was allegedly kept in custody for several days and sent to jail without medical examination or treatment. Relatives met Mithun in jail on Dec 21 and 26, during which he reportedly complained of chest pain. On Dec 26 evening, the family received a call from jail authorities stating that Mithun’s condition had worsened and he was shifted to Balrampur Hospital. Upon reaching the hospital, the family found him in a critical state. He was later referred to KGMU trauma centre, where he was declared dead. Lucknow Jailor Ritwik Priyadarshi told TOI that Mithun was lodged in jail on Dec 19. At the time of his admission, he was reportedly unwell and had not eaten anything. “He was brought to jail along with two to three other individuals. During the initial medical examination, injury marks were noticed on his body, including bruises on the back and shoulder region,” he said.
