LUCKNOW

18 April 2020 18:09 IST

He stepped out during lockdown period to buy domestic items, says father.

Rizwan Ahmed, 22, a daily wage worker, died in U.P.’s Ambedkar Nagar district on Saturday three days after he was allegedly thrashed by police when he stepped out during the lockdown period.

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In his police complaint, Rizwan’s father Israil said he had stepped out in the Chajjapur locality of Tanda town in Ambedkar Nagar to buy domestic items on April 15 at around 4 p.m. According to a relative, he went to buy biscuits as he was hungry.

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When Rizwan reached the local post-office, he was intercepted by a woman inspector and some constables, said Mr. Israil.

The police got down from their vehicle and “beat him with lathis,” said Mr. Israil, adding that Rizwan was badly injured.

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An inconsolable Mr. Israil told reporters that when Rizwan had come back home, his body was blue with injury marks.

Afraid of the police and the lockdown, the family treated Rizwan with ‘desi’ remedy at home. Since his condition did not improve, they shifted him to a hospital in Asopur but doctors there referred him to the district hospital where he died at 2 a.m., said Mr. Israil.

Avanish Kumar Mishra, Addl. SP, said the allegations against the police were being probed.

“After the post mortem is done and on the inspection of the CCTV footage, the allegations made by the family will be investigated and action taken,” Mr. Mishra said.

The post mortem report is yet to be released.