Aquil Qureshi’s young children say he was pushed down from the terrace of his house. Police deny the charge
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — A Muslim meat seller succumbed to his injuries this week, it was reported on Sunday. Aquil Qureshi had sustained the injuries during a police raid on his house in Khurja town of Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh.
His family alleges that Qureshi was first beaten up and then pushed down from the terrace of his house that led to his death.
A video of Qureshi’s three young children speaking to the media shows them making the allegation. The video was posted on Twitter on Sunday drawing several responses.
#UP : 3 innocent daughters of deceased #Muslim meat seller made serious allegations against #Bulandshahr_police,
“Police came at one o’clock in the night, threw the father down from the roof, which led to the father’s death.”
Do the police extort money from meat seller in UP? pic.twitter.com/klazbpf7sd— Mohammad Sartaj Alam (@SartajAlamIndia) May 29, 2021
The police raided Qureshi’s house on the intervening night of 23 and 24 May.
According to his children, he was sleeping on the terrace when the police barged in at 1 am. The children said that he was hit in the head with a gun before being pushed down by police. His skull was fractured when he fell down, the children said.
The police had surrounded the house in the raid and jumped atop the house from the lane on the backside. Some of them also entered the house from the main door.
The family took injured Qureshi to hospital where he passed away on May 27. The children vouched for the innocence of their father. They said that Qureshi had not done any wrong to anyone.
The police, however, denied the allegations of the family and put out a video saying a police team had gone to Qureshi’s home to arrest him in connection with a case.
थाना खुर्जानगर से वांछित अभियुक्त द्वारा पुलिस की आशंका पर छत से कूदने के कारण गम्भीर रुप से घायल हो जाने तथा उसकी दौराने उपचार दिनांक 27.05.21 को मृत्यु हो जाने के प्रकरण में क्षेत्राधिकारी खुर्जा की बाइट। @dgpup @UPGovt @Uppolice @PrashantK_IPS90 @adgzonemeerut @igrangemeerut pic.twitter.com/lYCRtcAzJz
— Bulandshahr Police (@bulandshahrpol) May 30, 2021
The District police officer said that Qureshi was admitted to the hospital in injured condition on 23- 24 May night with a different name. The police officer admitted that he died of his injuries at a hospital in Delhi where he had been referred from Aligarh.
The officer claimed that Qureshi has a history of crime and that police would often visit his house. Denying family allegations of beating and pushing him down, the officer said that the preliminary findings reveal that Qureshi received injuries when he jumped from the roof while the police went to his house. “The police returned from the gate when the family denied his presence at the home,” the officer said.
The officer, however, added that the superintendent of police has ordered a probe into the incident following a complaint by the family.
The family and locals had staged a protest demonstration briefly blocking a busy intersection. Carrying Qureshi’s body they demanded action against the police. However, they were persuaded to clear the road and bury the dead in a nearby graveyard.
The video of Qureshi’s children making the allegation has triggered outrage against the police on social media.
“Can you order investigation in this case. The allegations by daughters are very serious. Kindly do justice in this case,” tweeted Abdul Hafeez Gandhi, an academic.
.@Uppolice Can you order investigation in this case. The allegations by daughters are very serious. Kindly do justice in this case. @bulandshahrpol @dgpup https://t.co/zBuJzwgJdo
— Abdul Hafiz Gandhi (अब्दुल हफीज़ गाँधी ) (@hafizgandhi) May 30, 2021
Praveen Davar, a retired army officer, wrote on Twitter: “Shocking #UPPolice can be so inhuman and beastly. Hope the #allahabadhighcourt orders the severest possible punishment to the policemen and #YogiAdityanath govt. made to pay a compensation of at least 1 crore and free education and upbringing of the children.”
Shocking #UPPolice can be so inhuman n beastly. Hope the #allahabadhighcourt orders the severest possible punishment to the policemen and #YogiAdityanath govt. made to pay a compensation of atleast 1 crore and free education and upbringing of the children. https://t.co/Z9boxpOBcf
— Praveen Davar (@PraveenDavar) May 30, 2021
