A youth who was in police custody was attacked inside the police station but the police gave a different colour and said that the youth had stabbed himself.
Had it not been a judge's proactive stance, the Berasia police would have got away with their story. Now all the policemen including the Station Officer (SO) Rakesh Jain have been charged with attempt to murder and attached to police line.
On May 5, Mubarak alias Bhura was taken in custody for his alleged involvement in a case of rape and abdution with a minor girl. Later girl's cousin Paplesh went to police station and attacked Mubarak in the presence of police.
The local police managed to cover up the incident and it was claimed that Mubarak had injured himself using a razor in the custody. He was taken to hospital and when his condition deteriorated, police deposited Rs 50,000 at a private hospital for his treatment.
Remand was sought by police without producing him in the court. CJM Dharmendra Soni refused to send him to police remand without seeing the arrested youth. Later when the Magistrate Ganga Charan Dubey heard the case (as CJM was on leave), he got suspicious.
He saw the papers concerning victim's treatment and found that the wound was eight inch deep and the medical report said that the entrails were cut. As Mubarak was not in position to give a statement, court asked him to be sent to jail.
But police took him away to the police station instead. The judge spoke to Dr Dhirendra Srivastava who was treating the patient who showed photographs of the victim's wounds clicked with his cell phone camera. It was clear that injuries were too serious and couldn't have been inflicted by the person himself.
Police pressurised Mubarak to state in the court that he had attempted suicide but he revealed the truth. The judge ordered a case of attempt to murder registered on the entire police station. This is probably the first case in Madhya Pradesh when an entire police station was charged in a crime.
When the judge gave the order on June 15, the State government appeared shocked, and so was the PHQ. The policemen were attached to police lines and inquiry ordered. DIG KK Lohani was entrusted with the task to conduct a probe and hand over the report regarding the serious lapse.
