UP man dies by suicide after COVID-19 vaccine center assault
A man died by suicide in Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat hours after being assaulted by policemen at a COVID-19 vaccination center. The man's body was found hanging from a tree near his village on Monday night. Reportedly, the man had been assaulted by cops hours before he was found dead. A case of abetment to suicide has been filed against the said policemen.
The assault was captured on camera and the video was circulated online. In the video, two policemen were seen trying to grab the man. A second person seen trying to intervene was pushed away by the cops. The victim's father said the cops did not let his son enter the COVID-19 vaccination center despite his name being called out by the medical staff.
Ten policemen were suspended from duty on Tuesday in connection with the incident. Among them, five have also been named in the abetment to suicide case, NDTV reported. The family members of the deceased alleged that he was driven to suicide by policemen who assaulted him "for no reason." Reportedly, the victim was in his 20s.
"The police pushed my son around...when he asked them why they started beating him. He was then dragged to a room where he was assaulted with lathis," the father said. While he managed to escape from there, the cops allegedly visited his home later and assaulted his mother. "My son got very scared and ran away. We found his body later," the father added.
Baghpat's Police chief Abhishek Singh said in a video statement, "We have filed a case and have removed 10 police personnel from duty. The body has been sent for a post-mortem and we will not spare anyone."
In case you need help or know someone who needs it, you can reach out to AASRA for suicide prevention counseling. Their number is 022 2754 6669. You can also contact the Hyderabad-based Roshni NGO at +914066202000 or COOJ at +918322252525. Sneha India Foundation which works 24X7 can be contacted at +914424640050.Vandrevala Foundation has trained counselors and their number is 18602662345.
