Hit by cops with rifle butt, woman dies in UP

BAREILLY: A 60-year-old woman died after she was hit with a rifle butt by a group of policemen in Aonla tehsil of Bareilly district here. Following the incident late on Friday, angry villagers resorted to violence, pelting the police team with stones and even detaining one of them for many hours. Senior superintendent of police Jogendra Kumar suspended six policemen, including two sub-inspectors, and ordered a probe as heavy police force was deployed in the area to ensure peace.A case of murder has been registered at Aonla police station.
According to the villagers, the accused policemen landed at the house of one Ramchandra Lodi in Dhannawali Gotiya village of Bareilly district on Friday evening. Lodi’s daughter-in-law had committed suicide earlier this year following which her family had alleged that it was a case of dowry death. Since all the accused, including son Sooraj, were missing, they could only find Lodi’s 60-year-old mother Kalawati who objected to their breaking household items during the search. At this, one of the cops allegedly hit her with a rifle butt due to which she died on the spot.
“The team enquired about my brother and my parents. One of the cops hit my grandmother with a rifle butt and also threatened us to ensure that the accused present themselves in court,” Yogesh Kumari, prime witness and granddaughter of the deceased, said.
Sources said the autopsy report, which cited brain hemorrhage as the cause of her death, said the deceased was hit in the head by something which had a sharp impact, leading to immediate death. Two of her teeth were found broken and her tongue had deep injury marks, the report added.
The raiding police party soon came under attack from irate villagers. Protesters resorted to stone-pelting at the cops and one of the constables was detained by local residents. Later, when senior police officials reached the village with a heavy police force, the cop's release could be secured.
“Something untoward has definitely happened there although the police team had initially apprised me that they left after asking the family to present the accused in court. Violence has been contained and the situation is slipping back to normal in the region. We have deployed heavy police force in the area. The matter will be probed by a senior official who will submit report on the entire incident,” SSP Kumar said.