Dalit journalist alleges custodial torture, illegal demolition; police deny charges

Rudrapur: A Dalit journalist from Bazpur area in Udham Singh Nagar district has accused the police of custodial torture, caste-based abuse, illegal demolition and misuse of legal provisions, allegations officials have strongly denied.Vimal Bharti alias Goldy Nirbhik, a resident of Keshowala village, claims he has worked as an independent journalist for 13–14 years and has reported on alleged administrative irregularities. He said the dispute began after he published a report on Nov 11 questioning repeated postings of certain police officials at Bazpur police station. Bharti said he wrote to the President of India, the Union home ministry, the Uttarakhand CM, the governor and the DGP on Nov 12, expressing apprehension that a false case could be lodged against him. He alleged that the next day, a police team accompanied by PWD assistant engineer Neha Sharma and a JCB machine reached his house and demolished a structure citing encroachment.Bharti claimed he had sought time to remove the structure himself but was denied the opportunity. He alleged that while recording the demolition, his phone was snatched by police and that he was taken into custody "like a terrorist."Police registered a case against him under Sections 132, 221, and 351(2) of the BNS, 2023, based on a complaint by the PWD official. Bharti alleged he was detained without notice under Section 41A and later shifted to the Bannakhera outpost lock-up.Alleging custodial torture, Bharti said he was beaten, stripped, abused with casteist slurs, forced to drink water from a shoe, and compelled to disclose his mobile and email passwords, after which his professional digital accounts were accessed and deleted.Bharti said he filed complaints with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, the National Human Rights Commission, and senior state authorities on Dec 15 and later moved the High Court on Dec 25. He claimed notices were issued in Jan 2026, but no action has followed so far.Denying the allegations, Bazpur circle officer Vibhav Saini said the claims were an attempt to exert pressure on the police. He said the FIR was lodged on the basis of a written complaint by the PWD assistant engineer and that police were present only to maintain law and order during an official demolition drive. "At no point did the police exceed their legal authority. All procedures were followed," he said, adding that the investigation has been transferred to officers of another district to ensure transparency.