Police have no right to take anyone’s life, no matter what, said mother of the deceased
Waquar Hasan | Clarion India
AHMEDABAD – A 30-year-old Muslim man, Azharuddin was allegedly beaten to death after he visited the Vejalpore police station in Ahmedabad, Gujarat over a dispute with his acquaintances.
According to wife of Azharuddin, Sana, there was some argument between her husband and a meat trader whom he knew. Following the dispute, they went to the police station to file a complaint. But she doesn’t know what transpired between her husband and the police after which he was beaten to death.
“He went to the police station to file a complaint after a small dispute with a local acquaintance. Then, he was taken inside the police station and brutally beaten to death,” said Sana.
Azharuddin was taken to the hospital directly from the police station by the family members where he was referred from one hospital to another one.
“Before dying, Azharuddin told us that he was brutally beaten up by the police. He was hit in the head, back and legs. He told us everything. I know everything. I can identify all the accused,” said Sana.
According to government data, 173 custodial deaths were reported from Gujarat in the last two years and no compensation was provided to the victims in this period.
As per the government, the compensation is provided to the victim only on the orders of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Gujarat State Human Rights Commission.
Azharuddin is survived by an 8 year old son. Azharuddin’s Mother Shaira said that nothing can bring her son back but now they will fight until justice prevails.
Shaira said, “Police have no right to take anyone’s life, no matter what.”
Irshad, a leader from Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) who visited the family of the victim, said that the police did not come to take a look at the situation of Azharuddin at the hospital even though they were aware of the incident.
Pointing to several other incidents of custodial deaths in the recent weeks, he called upon the Gujarat government and police to take serious note of such deaths.
The SDPI delegation demanded a fair probe in the case of Azharuddin’s death, the termination of the guilty policemen and putting them behind bars.
According to the NCRB data, the state has recorded the highest number of custodial deaths for the third consecutive year.
The death of Azharuddin is the second case of police violence reported in the same month.
On the first of May, omelette vendor Fayyaz was allegedly assaulted by the policemen because he had kept his shop open after 11 PM in the night in Gujarat’s Vadodara. In this case, three policemen were booked for the attempt to murder and other sections of IPC.
