Uttarakhand: 16-year-old dies in police custody, family cries foul

Family claims he was tortured to death. Ziauddin Raza was taken into custody on February 26 for his alleged role in elopement of a girl. The boy was found hanging late last night in the Katoratal police post.

A 16-year-old boy died in police custody with his family alleging that the minor was tortured to death.

Ziauddin Raza was taken into custody on February 26 for his alleged role in elopement of a girl from his neighbourhood.

The boy was found hanging late last night in the Katoratal police post under Kashipur police station and rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead by the doctors, DIG Ajay Rautela said.

Following the incident, four police officials, including the police post incharge, have been suspended for negligence of duty, he said.

Rautela said that the Nainital police will conduct a probe into the death of the boy and the guilty will be punished.

Mohammed Yamin, Raza's father, has alleged that his son had been tortured to death by seven policemen including the police post incharge Praveen Singh Rawat.

"They summoned my son to the police post on February 26 and beat him so badly that he died," he said.