Custodial deaths a cause of concern: Allahabad HC

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh), Aug 27 The Allahabad High Court has said that violence, torture and deaths in custody have always been a concern for the civilized society.

The court made this observation on Thursday while denying bail to a policeman booked for custodial death of a man in 1997.

Rejecting the bail application of the policeman Sher Ali, Justice Samit Gopal observed, "Custodial violence, custodial torture and custodial deaths have always been a concern for civilized society. Time and again the judicial verdicts of the apex court and other courts have shown their concern and anguish in such matters."

The court also quoted the judicial verdicts of the apex court in the case of D.K. Basu Vs State of West Bengal, where the apex court, while expressing its anguish over custodial deaths, had issued guidelines for arrest in order to check such incidents.

The complainant, Sanjay Kumar Gupta alleged that on December 28, 1997 some policemen came to his house and took away his father Gorakh Nath a.k.a Om Prakash Gupta.

Later, he was informed that his father had died due to a heart attack.

The complainant alleged that his father was mercilessly assaulted due to which he died in the police station itself.

An FIR was registered against the applicant under section 364 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder), 304 (culpable homicide) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC.