UP govt should reform its police system: Mayawati on sanitation worker's custodial death

The former chief minister also said a BSP delegation will be visiting Agra later on Thursday and meet the family members and administrative officers in connection with the case.

Lucknow:Taking strong exception to the death of a sanitation worker in police custody in Agra after a Kanpur businessman had recently died allegedly due to police thrashing, BSP president Mayawati on Thursday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to bring necessary reforms in its police system.

The former chief minister also said a BSP delegation will be visiting Agra later on Thursday and meet the family members and administrative officers in connection with the case.

“After the tragic murder of a businessman in a hotel by police in Gorakhpur, now the present BJP government is again in the dock due to the death of a Dalit sweeper in police custody in Agra. Therefore, the government should bring necessary reforms in its police system. This is the demand of the BSP,” Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.

She also said, “In connection with the very sad incident of the death of a sweeper in police custody in Agra, a delegation led by Gayacharan Dinkar will go to Agra today to meet the victim's family and the administration for ensuring punishment to the accused and justice for the victim's family.”

Political parties on Wednesday condemned the death of a sanitation worker Arun, who was accused of stealing Rs 25 lakh from Jagdishpura police station in Agra, in police custody after his health deteriorated during interrogation.

An inspector, a sub-inspector and three constables, who were on duty at Jagdishpura police station when the accused died, were suspended after an uproar in the city over the incident.

An FIR has been registered over the death without identifying anyone and a team has been formed to probe the case, officials said.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had rushed to Agra and met the family members late in the night after initially being stopped in Lucknow from proceeding to Agra.

Last month, a Kanpur-based businessman Manish Gupta had died allegedly due to police thrashing in a Gorakhpur hotel.

PTI