Sonbhadra (UP), Jan 31 (IANS) Former Sub-divisional Magistrate (SDM) Rajesh Kumar Singh and tehsildar Brijesh Kumar Verma have been booked in a case of culpable homicide.
Robertsganj Kotwali police of Sonbhadra has lodged the FIR under IPC section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) on the complaint of Sadar tehsildar Sunil Kumar, mentioning that “in view of the magisterial probe ordered by the Sonbhadra district magistrate into the death of a trader in May 2022, then SDM and tehsildar had been found responsible”.
District Magistrate Sonbhadra, Chandra Vijay Singh said, “The magisterial probe has not only brought many important points to light, but also exposed the fact that the body of the trader was cremated without conducting a post-mortem examination which could have cleared the actual cause of his death.”
He further informed that a high-level committee under the Mirzapur divisional commissioner is also investigating the matter, and its report containing all the developments, including outcome of the magisterial probe, lodging of FIR and the departmental action against the duo will be sent to the state government soon.
As per details mentioned in the FIR, one Sudhakar Dubey ran an electronics goods shop near Dharamshala crossing in Robertsganj township of Sonbhadra district.
He had taken a loan from the Union Bank of India and against non-payment of over Rs 10 lakh, a recovery challan was issued against him.
In this connection, then Sadar tehsildar Brijesh Kumar Verma arrested Dubey on May 12, 2022, and kept him in the lock-up of the revenue department.
Dubey was kept in the lock-up till May 19, 2022, when his health deteriorated sharply.
Following this, Verma released Dubey for taking him to hospital without completing the necessary paperwork.
Dubey was initially rushed to hospital in the Lodhi area of Robertsganj and later referred to the BHU hospital in Varanasi. However, Dubey died on the way.
Instead of ensuring post-mortem examination, the SDM and tehsildar handed over Dubey’s body to his family for cremation. The matter was not brought to the knowledge of the district magistrate or any other senior officer.
Dubey’s son Neeraj and his advocate Vikas Shakya filed a complaint with the district magistrate Sonbhadra, who assigned ADM Bhanu Pratap Yadav to conduct a magisterial probe into the matter.
During this probe, Dubey’s family members levelled serious allegations that he was kept in a lock-up which was intolerably hot during the peak summer. Also, he was given hot water to drink after which he fell ill.
The officials did not allow Dubey’s family to serve him homemade food and drinking water, they further alleged.
–IANS
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