'Death in Custody': BJP Worker Dies After Police Torture, No Justice Yet

Video Producers: Utkarsh Singh, Aparna Singh
Video Editor: Prashant Chauhan

In the last chapter of the series 'Death in Custody', The Quint brings you the story of mental harassment in police custody.

This is the story of 60-year-old BJP worker Kanhaiya Bind, who was not only assaulted and abused at the Jigna police station in Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur, but it was also claimed that police tortured him mentally by making him clean toilets and verandas.

These allegations were made by the BJP worker himself before he died. It is claimed that after this incident, Kanhaiya Bind's health deteriorated due to shock and he died soon after that. His video, made a few days before his death on 29 July 2020, went viral on social media.

In the video message, Kanhaiya said that he had requested for an investigation into a matter he had reported about. "After investigation, the police officer asked both parties to bring the papers and come to the police station. The police caught me, took me to the police station and abused me," Kanhaiya said.

"After this, they locked me up and took my mobile phone. They forced me to clean the toilets and verandah. I am incredibly sad, if this is the intention of the government, then I should commit suicide."

Kanhaiya Bind, BJP worker (Last statement before his death)

'Died Due to Shock After Police Harassment': Relatives

Kanhaiya Bind, a resident of Ranno Patti, was a booth in-charge of the BJP. He had been having a dispute with his neighbour for a long time regarding an adjacent land.

According to the family members, Kanhaiya was constantly going to the police station regarding the same matter, but no action was taken by the police.

Both Kanhaiya and the other party were taken to the police station by the police. The police took their mobile phones and abused them. Kanhaiya was beaten up and locked in the lockup. Not only this, but the police also got the verandah and toilet cleaned from him, his family claimed.

The family members also said that BJP leaders rescued them from the police station. He was so shocked that he even stopped eating.

After coming back from the police station, he stopped going out, he became ill. Due to anxiety, he was lying on the bed, we went to a lot of doctors for medicine, but nothing was working.

Kanhaiya's daughter-in-law Usha Devi told The Quint that was a generous man who had cordial relations with everyone. She said that he had never never done the work that he was forced to do in the police station.

"After coming back from the police station, he stopped going out, he became ill. Due to anxiety, he was lying on the bed, we went to a lot of doctors for medicine, but nothing was working."

Usha Devi, Deceased Kanhaiya's daughter-in-law

He was taken to Allahabad, where he stayed there for a day in the hospital but did not get any relief. He was taken to another hospital and that is where he died on 29 July 2020. Usha said that the doctors could not find any illness.

"Many tests were done but all reports came normally. He was only worried," Usha added.

NDA Leaders Wrote Letter to CM, No Action Was Taken

All the NDA leaders, including MPs Anupriya Patel and Ramesh Chand Bind, wrote a letter to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath demanding a high-level inquiry into the death of Kanhaiya.

At the local level, BJP leaders were constantly demanding action against the accused policemen from the DM and SP. But till date no FIR has been registered in this case.

For the sake of process, the then SHO and another inspector were transferred whereas, the police, in their investigation, rejected the claims of the family and party leaders and attributed the death to chronic diseases.

"When we came back from Allahabad, the police came to our house and said that he died due to COVID-19, but everything was fine in the investigation, nothing came out."

Kalavati Devi, Deceased Kanhaiya's wife

"We did not get justice. If we leave the house, where do we go, we will not have a place to live. Where do we stay?" said Kalavati Devi.

'Govt Not Able to Keep Its Own Workers Safe'

Local BJP leaders made a lot of efforts to get justice for the deceased Kanhaiya Bind but no action was taken against the accused policemen. It is alleged that to brush off the matter, the accused were transferred.

BJP block president of Chhanbey, Sujit Modanwal said that Kanhaiya had told him what happened to him after he came back from the police station.

He went to the district president with the matter, who then went to the SP. A letter was also written to the Backward Classes Commission, but nothing happened. He did not know that Kanhaiya would die, otherwise he would have taken him to more places for his treatment.

We are not at all satisfied with the action but now what to say about how much we will bear? How many battles will we fight when there is no one to listen? It seems that under our rule we are troubled. It seems that the government is not able to keep even its workers safe, but what to tell now. The party has guidelines, that must be done.

Sujit Modanwal, BJP Mandal President, Chhanbey, Mirzapur

He said that the state should progress, there should be development, we are engaged in this, but it is because the worker is neglected a little, so he is sad with the administration.

"The person who does such a heinous act should be punished; a message will be sent to the people that action has been taken. People will know that whatever the government-administration is for doing this, but the party worker, their action has been taken," Modanwal said.