Civil society organizations and family demand justice for youth killed in police custody

Senior Correspondent

NewsBits.in

BHOPAL: Family members of Deva Pardhi, a youth who died after being allegedly beaten up by personnel of Myana police station in Guna district in July this year, held a demonstration at the Yadgar-e-Shahjehani Park in Bhopal with support of civil society organizations (CSOs), seeking justice in the case.

he family members and the CSOs are demanding registration of a criminal case against the cops involved in the alleged custodial death and their immediate arrest. The protest was held on August 16.

The incident had occurred in Myana of Madhya Pradesh on the night intervening July 13 and 14. Deva Pardhi had been picked up by the police along with his uncle in a case of theft while he was preparing to get married on night of July 13. Later, the police called up the family saying he had died of heart attack.

The family staged huge protests at the Guna district collector office, accusing the police of beating Deva to death. His aunt Suraj Bai set herself ablaze during the protest and the finacee of Deva also attempted self-immolation.

A month after the incident the demonstration was held at Bhopal to protest inaction against the involved police personnel.

Delegation of the protestors also submitted a memorandum to the office of the director general of police (DGP) and met the minister for nomadic and semi-nomadic tribe welfare Krishna Gaur and was assured of action, a press note by the protestors said.

During the protest, Madhuri Bahan of Jagrit Adiwasi Dalit Sangathan (JADS) said that such incidents prove we are not yet independent in India. Nikita Sonawane of Criminal Justice and Police Accountability (CPA) project accused the police of caste-based discrimination. Sheshraj Tasweer said that police try to defame the accused persons. Everyone took a pledge to fight till justice was achieved for Deva.

They said that they will not sit silent until FIR was registered on the cops Rajendra Singh Chouhan, Santosh Tiwari, Bunty, Mawai, Vikas and Uttam and they were arrested. The family members also accused the cops of misbehavior with women of the family.

The family members including Shalini, Anusurya Bai, Nikita, Kapuri Bai said that they will repeatedly come to Bhopal to demand justice until justice was done. Representatives of Pasmanda Adhikar Manch, JADS, Shahri Mazdoor Sangathan, CPA Project, Lahar, Samajwadi Party, Bhim Army, OBC Mahasabha, Kisan Adiwasi Sangathan etc., participated in the protest.