Dalit journalist’s health deteriorates in Lucknow police custody

On July 31, the journalist had raised questions about the police action against those who misbehaved with a bike rider during rain in Lucknow. Board of Deputy Commissioner of Police, East Lucknow and Satya Prakash Bharti

By: Awadhesh Kumar

You must have seen the videos of the ruckus that took place in Lucknow during the rains in the past few days. In that, some hooligans were seen splashing water on passersby. After this, when this matter started gaining momentum on social media, the police arrested many boys. There were allegations that the police have also arrested some people who were not involved in the incident.

Lucknow’s independent journalist Satya Prakash Bharti was reporting on this subject. He claims that there was evidence of one-sided action by the police in his mobile, which has now been deleted by the Lucknow police.

In this case, the police has issued a statement saying that the journalist was disturbing the peace and was secretly recording the video of the police.

On 31 July, Bharti had gone to Lucknow’s DCP East (Deputy Commissioner of Police) Shashank Singh’s office to meet him in connection with the news. During the conversation, he turned on the audio recording of his phone, which the DCP saw. After this, Singh handed over the journalist to the police of Gomtinagar police station.

Journalist Bharti says that the police had first arrested 16 boys in this case, later this number increased to 25. Bharti claims that the police had also arrested many innocent boys.

He says, “I had gone to the DCP East office. Where I met DCP Shashank Singh. During this, I questioned whether some arrests were wrong in the ruckus that took place in the rain on 31 July. Is it possible that the police have made these arrests under the pressure of the Chief Minister’s statement? On this, the DCP got angry and said that you are questioning the action of the police.”

Bharti says that during this time he started recording the audio of the conversation without permission. When the DCP came to know about this, he called the police from Gomti Nagar police station and snatched my phone and got all the recordings deleted from it.

According to Bharti, “After this, the police took me to Gomti Nagar police station while beating me. After taking me to the police station, they forced me to write that I was secretly recording the DCP. They made me sit for 5-6 hours. Meanwhile, my health started deteriorating. I urinated in my pants. Seeing my health deteriorating, the police took me to Nava Hospital near Patrakarpuram.”

The media should be free and unbiased, unaffected by corporate or power interests. That is why you, our people, need to spend to keep journalism free.

“From there I was sent to the government Lohia Hospital, but the police took me to the Metro Trauma Center. By then it was around 8:30. Here I was admitted to the ICU. After this, my family members came at around 12 in the night, then I was discharged from here and taken to Gomti Nagar police station again. Where I was made to sign some documents. Then at around 2:30 in the night I was released on bail. We came home at around 4:30 in the morning on August 18.” Bharti says.

We spoke to Lucknow DCP East Shashank Singh on this entire matter.

He says, “Satya Prakash Bharti was sitting with us during the public hearing. During this time Bharti started recording on his phone without permission. When I came to know, I called the police and sent him to the police station.”

Shashank says, “The police station got him medically examined and action was taken against him under old sections 107/16 and 151 (breach of peace). The SHO told me that he was talking loudly even in the police station.”

What did Gomti Nagar police say

In this case, the police of Gomti Nagar police station has also issued a statement, in which it is said that on August 17, during the public hearing in the office, a person named Satya Prakash Bharti was secretly recording the conversation on his mobile while conducting a sting operation. When the people present there objected to this, he became aggressive and started talking nonsense, claiming to be a journalist.

When Satya Prakash Bharti was questioned about this, he accepted that he is not currently doing journalism. Rather, he was conducting a sting operation to spread sensation under a conspiracy due to the need of money. The police took preventive action against Satya Prakash Bharti under section 170/126/135 BNSS to prevent breach of peace and in view of the possibility of a cognizable crime being committed.

The police also wrote that no kind of assault, abuse or any inhuman behavior has been done.

Satya Prakash Bharti has said that he will complain against the police to CM Yogi Adityanath and the Human Rights Commission.

What is the matter?

Let us tell you that on July 31, in Lucknow, due to heavy rains, there was waterlogging in the area near Ambedkar Park in Gomtinagar. During this, some miscreants present there misbehaved with passersby. Videos of this were seen on social media in which women sitting on two-wheelers were misbehaved with. They were dragged and thrown into the water. Not only this, these miscreants stopped the cars and forcibly opened the doors and threw water inside, broke the wipers.

After this incident, many such videos started floating on social media. Seeing the embarrassment, the police made several arrests in a hurry.

In fact, after the video went viral, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath started a new controversy by naming only two of the arrested accused, on which the opposition alleged that the CM was doing politics in this matter.

Seeing the increasing pressure and embarrassment of law and order, the Yogi government transferred the DCP, ADCP and ACP. Along with this, the SHO, the outpost in-charge and many constables were also suspended.

Courtesy: Hindi News