In a tragic incident, a 20-year-old man taken into custody for alleged rape and sexual assault was found dead at the Chipyana police post in Noida on the morning of May 16th. The victim, Yogesh Kumar, worked and lived at a bakery in the village.
The incident began when a female co-worker accused Yogesh of rape and sexual harassment about a month and a half ago. Her complaint was forwarded from the Director General of Police in Lucknow to the assistant commissioner of police in the area on Tuesday. Despite the serious accusations, no FIR had been filed yet.
Yogesh was called in for questioning on Wednesday. By Thursday at 10 am, he was found hanging from a rope inside the police post barracks. The police rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead. The Deputy Commissioner of Police stated that they are following National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) guidelines and have launched an investigation.
Yogesh’s brother, Jitendra, claimed the police demanded ₹5 lakh for his brother’s release but he could only manage ₹53,000. He alleged that despite paying this amount, he was denied access to his brother, and later learned of his death the next morning.
Jitendra further alleged that his brother had a previous dispute with the woman at work, which was settled by the manager. However, the woman reportedly continued to hold a grudge and vowed to get Yogesh jailed.
Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh announced the suspension of all personnel at the Chipyana police post, except for two trainees. A preliminary investigation has been ordered against the police post in-charge, the Bisrakh police station in-charge, and the assistant commissioner of police. Additional DCP of Noida Manish Mishra is tasked with conducting a thorough investigation. Strict action will be taken against anyone found negligent. A post-mortem will be conducted by a panel of doctors and recorded on video.
Regarding the bribery allegations, Commissioner Singh stated that the family had not mentioned them in their written complaint but had only filed a complaint against the woman. However, the bribery claims will be investigated as part of the overall probe.
Rajeev Kumar Sharma, a human rights and RTI activist, criticized the police for taking Yogesh into custody without an FIR.
Following a complaint from Yogesh’s family, an FIR was registered against the woman at Bisrakh police station under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code for abetment to suicide.
