A 13-year-old boy, Mohd. Aashif, hailing from a locality in Muzaffarnagar has allegedly lost vision in his left eye after being beaten up while in police detention on September 26, earlier this year. The police, however, claimed that Aashif had a pre-existing eye condition. Meanwhile, the medical reports confirm that the he has lost the vision in one eye due to “trauma caused an hour ago.”
The shocking incident occurred when Aashif was taken by police after he made an announcement at 8 am on September 26 in26 in a local mosque about the reopening of his father’s chicken shop; following this, a complaint was reportedly registered. The family said that a neighbor informed them that Aashif was picked up by police. CCTV footage from a nearby camera also confirms the Biralsi police picking him up.
The chicken shop had remained closed for two weeks. After it reopened, Aashif made a public announcement in a local mosque to inform the community and draw attention to the shop’s return, unaware that this will lead him to the barbarity.
“My brother went to the mosque near our shop and announced that our shop has reopened and that chicken would now be available at prices that are cheaper than usual at Rs. 140 per kg due to lesser demand during Navratri. Following a complaint from a local resident regarding the announcement, the police detained him while he was travelling through the village. Eyewitnesses from the neighborhood informed us that he was taken away in a police van,” Aashif’s brother, Mohd. Qasim told FoEJ Media.
The police claimed that Aashif had a country-made pistol, which the family clearly denied. “Aashif told us that the police physically assaulted him, recorded a video, and coerced him into confessing that the pistol belonged to him” Mohd. Qasim added.
Kept Behind the Bars with Tied Feet
Mohd. Qasim further revealed that that when they went to the police station, they saw his brother behind the bars, and his feet were tied. The parents were reportedly asked to come later and were told that it was “a small issue.”
“My brother was severely beaten and released only around 8 PM. When he returned home, he complained of pain in his eye and head. We took him to a local doctor, who advised us to take him to Meerut. There, we were told that the lens in his eye had been damaged and he would need surgery” Mohd. Qasim said.
Mohd Qasim further alleged that this waited outside the police outpost for two hours and when returned, “he was told that he had been fined under Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS),” Mohd Qasim told FoEJ Media.
The family has reportedly registered a formal complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), including local and district administration.
