Villagers protest outside police station after youth's death in custody in UP's Hardoi

Hardoi (UP), Sep 1 (PTI) Tension prevailed in Hardoi on Monday as villagers protested over the custodial death of a youth accused in an elopement case, despite police action against the officials involved.

When the body of Ravi Rajput (20) returned after post-mortem, family members placed it outside the police station and blocked the road. The situation turned chaotic, prompting police to disperse the crowd.

Rajput had been detained on charges of eloping with a 16-year-old girl. On Sunday, he hanged himself in a toilet inside the police station, SP had said. He was rushed to the Shahabad Community Health Centre, where doctors declared him dead.

Earlier, an FIR was registered based on the family’s complaint against Sub-Inspector Varun Shukla and several policemen.

Superintendent of Police Neeraj Jadaun had suspended Shukla with immediate effect.

However, anger flared as hundreds of villagers gathered at Shahabad police station and laid siege to the premises. A heavy police contingent was deployed, with reinforcements rushed from nearby areas to control the situation.

Additional SP (West) Martand Prakash Singh and SDM Shahabad reached the spot, but the protest continued with villagers shouting slogans against the police.

The agitation also caused a massive traffic jam on the Shahjahanpur–Hardoi highway.

SP Jadaun, who later arrived at the scene, said all demands of the bereaved family had been accepted earlier and assured further talks to resolve the issue. PTI COR ABN HIG