Police 'kill' 52-year-old Dalit woman in Firozabad

Sharda Devi’s death comes six days after cops in Chandauli were accused of bludgeoning to death and then hanging 22-year-old Nisha Yadav

Piyush Srivastava   |   Lucknow   |    09.05.22  : An Uttar Pradesh police team allegedly killed a 52-year-old Dalit woman in Firozabad district on Saturday night while visiting her home for a “routine” check on her husband and sons who had been released on parole.

Sharda Devi’s death in Imaliya village, Tundla, comes six days after a police team in Chandauli district was accused of bludgeoning to death and then hanging 22-year-old Nisha Yadav during a visit to her home to look for her father, an alleged criminal.

“I was sleeping with my mother when the policemen came and asked where my brothers and father were. As mother stood up and said they were not home, a policeman held her by the neck and then pushed her to the ground. She fell unconscious,” Sharda’s daughter Monika Jatav told reporters.

“The policemen immediately ran away. We called for an ambulance on the 112 helpline. Some other policemen arrived with the ambulance and took her to a hospital, where she was declared dead.”

Officers denied the police had used force on Sharda. They said the post-mortem report had found no injury marks and had described the cause of death as “unknown”.

A senior government medico-legal expert told The Telegraph that the police often catch someone by their neck and unknowingly press the vagus nerve, which controls vital processes like digestion, heart rate and respiratory rate. Blocking the vagus for even a short time may cause fainting and even death.

“In these cases, the post-mortem report often mentions the cause of death as unknown. We have recommended that a forensic science MD be included in post-mortem teams,” he said, seeking anonymity.

According to the police, Nisha’s post-mortem report too describes the cause of death as “unknown” although death from head injuries or hanging is not difficult to determine. Her body has been sent for a viscera test, implying suspicion of poisoning.

Abhishek Srivastava, circle officer of Tundla, 340km west of Lucknow, said Fauran Singh Jatav and sons Rahul, Anand, Jitendra and Laik had been released on parole on Saturday after a death in the extended family. They had been arrested on March 23 for fighting with a fellow villager over land.

Srivastava said the police hadn’t used force.

Sharda’s son Rahul, who said he was in the neighbourhood at the time of the incident, said: “A sub-inspector, a constable, a home guard and a driver came to our home. As my mother told them we (father and sons) were not there, a policeman attacked her and killed her.”

Firozabad senior superintendent of police Ashish Kumar Tiwari said: “It’s routine for police to visit the homes of those released from prison.”

He said the police visit had come at midnight. “An inquiry is on and they will be punished if found guilty.”

Six policemen were suspended after Nisha’s death and booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and voluntarily causing hurt.

Chandauli district magistrate Sanjeev Singh ordered a magisterial inquiry on Sunday. The report is to be submitted in 15 days.