A Mother's Struggle for Justice: The Tragic Death of Her Son in Police Custody
"ढाई लाख दो नहीं तो जमीन लिख दो, तब बेटे को छोड़ेंगे"
नाम: जान्ती देवी, उम्र-46 वर्ष, पति का नाम महेंद्र प्रसाद, ग्राम- मरकुंडी, पोस्ट बाँधा, थाना- चोपन, जिला- सोनभद्र, उत्तर प्रदेश की रहने वाली हूं।
मेरा घर परिवार पूरी तरह खुशहाल था। मेरे पांच बेटे और तीन-चार बहुएं, नाती-पोते के साथ मेरा परिवार पूरी तरह से आबाद था। मेरे बेटे ट्रक ड्राइवर थे और गाड़ी चला कर किसी तरह घर का खर्च चलाते थे। मेरा छोटा बेटा कृष्ण मुरारी उर्फ पिंटू भी ट्रक ड्राईवर था और वह भी गाड़ी चलाता था। अपने गाड़ी में उसने अपनी फुआ लालता देवी उर्फ मुन्नी के बेटे अंकुर को खलासी के लिए रखा था। दोनों साथ में काम करते थे। मेरी छोटी बहु रीना, जिसकी एक बेटी रिया थी, जो जनवरी 2021 में पैदा हुई थी। उसी समय जनवरी में हमारे घर काल ने कदम रखा। मेरे बेटे को अंकुर अपने घर ले गया। वहां से वे लोग शराब पीने के लिए बीरबल चेरो के घर चले गए। जहां पर बीरबल चेरो की बेटी नेहा ने उसकी मोबाइल लेकर चली गई। जब वह जाने लगा तो नेहा से मोबाइल मांगी, लेकिन वह मोबाइल नहीं दे रही थी। इसी बीच छीनाझपटी हुई तो बीरबल ने 100 नम्बर पर फोन कर दिया। जिसके बाद पुलिस आ गई। पुलिस के डर से मेरा बेटा भाग गया और रात में अपनी फुआ के घर रुककर हमें फोन कर बताया कि यह घटना हुई है। इसके बाद लीलावती देवी मेरे बेटे को लेकर थाना गईं और हाथ जोड़कर अपने बेटे को छुड़ा लिया और उसे पुलिस को सौंप दिया। इसके बाद सुबह 9 बजे तक बीरबल चेरो अपनी बेटी नेहा को लेकर थाना आया। जहां नेहा ने बयान दिया कि उसने मेरे साथ कुछ नहीं किया, किसी तरह का कोई छेड़छाड़ नहीं की। यह बात सुनकर संदीप जायसवाल, जो थाना का दलाल था, वह लड़की को थाना से बाहर ले गया। और एक घंटे बाद फिर थाना में लाकर कहा कि लड़की बयान देगी। फिर लड़की का बयान थाना में करवाया गया, जिसमें उसने झूठ बोल दिया कि मेरे साथ छेड़छाड़ हुई है। इसके बाद पुलिस के सामने हम लोग हाथ जोड़ने लगे और बार-बार पुलिस और बीरबल चेरो तथा उसकी पत्नी के पैर पकड़ने लगे कि मेरा बेटा निर्दोष है, बयान वापस ले लो, हाथ जोड़कर विनती करती रही। कुछ पैसा ले लो, तभी पुलिस और दलाल मिलकर बोले कि ढाई लाख रुपये दो और अपने बेटे को ले जाओ। ढाई लाख सुनकर मैं रोने-चिल्लाने लगी कि इतना पैसा कहां से लाएंगे, हम बहुत गरीब मजदूर हैं, किसी तरह मजदूरी कर घर चलाती हूं। तब वे बोले, अगर पैसा नहीं है तो कुछ जमीन ही दे दो, थानेदार साहब छोड़ देंगे। फिर मेरे पति ने थानेदार से कहा कि साहब, छोड़ दीजिए। तब थानेदार साहब बोले कि अगर कोई पहुंच वाला आदमी है, तो उससे फोन करवा दो, छोड़ देंगे। मेरे पति बहुत गिड़गिड़ाए, रोने-पटकने लगे, लेकिन किसी का दिल नहीं पसीजा, सब कठोर हो गए थे। हम शाम को वहीं अपनी बहन के घर रुक गए और सुबह फिर थाने गए। इस तरह दो दिन थाना में हाथ-पैर जोड़ने में गुजर गए। इसके बाद पुलिस ने मेरे बेटे को कोर्ट ले जाकर जेल भेज दिया। हम लोग जेल में भी उससे मिलने गए थे, जनवरी और फरवरी में दो से तीन बार हम लोग अपने बेटे से मिले थे। इस दौरान हमने जेल में 5000 रुपये दिए थे, क्योंकि जेल में खाने-पीने के लिए पैसा देना पड़ता है।
हमें लगा था कि जेल में वकील कर के छुड़वा लेंगे। इसलिए मैंने वकील को 25000 रुपये केस लड़ने के लिए दिए थे। वकील हमारा केस देख रहा था। इसी बीच 2 अप्रैल को मेरा बेटा जेल से अपनी पत्नी से बात कर रहा था कि तभी किसी ने जेलर को शिकायत कर दी। इसके बाद जेलर ने उसे अपने पास बुलाया और उसे बहुत मारा, इतना मारा कि वह मर गया। इसके बाद उसे दो दिन तक जेल के अस्पताल में रखा गया। इसकी जानकारी हमें नहीं थी। हमें 4 अप्रैल को फोन आया कि बेटे की तबीयत खराब है, तो हम उसे देखने जेल गए। वहां पता चला कि आपके बेटे की मौत हो गई है। यह सुनकर हम रोने-चिल्लाने लगे, हमें घर के दरवाजे के पास से अस्पताल लाया गया, लेकिन यह नहीं बताया कि बेटा मर चुका है। हमने पूछा, "कहा है मेरा बेटा? उसी हाल में लाकर दो, जैसा हमने दिया था।" फिर हमें अस्पताल भेज दिया गया। अस्पताल में हम बेटे को देखे, वह बर्फ में रखा हुआ था। मेरे पति को देखने की हिम्मत नहीं हुई, मैं ही हिम्मत करके किसी तरह से देखा और बेहोश हो गई। मेरी आंखों के आंसू रुकने का नाम नहीं ले रहे थे। उस समय ऐसा लग रहा था जैसे हमें भी कोई जान से मार दे।
हम वहां पुलिसवालों से बोले कि हमें भी जान से मार दो, हम जी कर क्या करेंगे, ढाई लाख नहीं दिए तो बेटे की जान ले ली। इसके बाद थाना अध्यक्ष द्वारा जबरन कहा जा रहा था कि पेपर पर साइन कर दो। मेरे पति किसी पेपर पर साइन नहीं किए। बेटा का शव लेकर घर आ गए। मेरी बहु रोते-रोते पागल सी हो गई। हम किसे चुप कराते? हम खुद ही नहीं संभल पा रहे थे। घर में आस-पास के लोग उसे देखकर रोने लगे। मेरे बेटे की इस दर्दनाक मौत पर गांव में मातम छा गया था। कहीं कुछ समझ में नहीं आ रहा था कि किसे क्या कहें। बस बेटे की मौत का दर्द दिल में आज भी एक गहरा घाव बनकर रह गया है।
जेलर साहब ने मेरे बेटे की हत्या की है। उस पर कानूनी कार्यवाही हो और उसे कानून से सजा मिले, ताकि मेरे बेटे की मौत का इंसाफ मिले। आपको यह सब बताकर लगता है जैसे भगवान ही मेरे घर आए हैं, अब हमें इंसाफ मिलेगा।
"Give two and a half lakh, or else write off the land, only then will we release your son."
Name: Janti Devi, Age: 46 years, Husband's Name: Mahendra Prasad, Village: Markundi, Post: Bandha, Police Station: Chopan, District: Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh.
My family was completely happy. I had five sons, three to four daughters-in-law, and a house full of grandchildren. My sons were truck drivers, and they somehow managed to run the household by driving trucks. My youngest son, Krishna Murari, alias Pinto, was also a truck driver and drove his own vehicle. He had hired his maternal uncle’s (Lalta Devi alias Munni's) son, Ankur, as a helper in his truck. Both were working together. My youngest daughter-in-law, Reena, had a daughter, Riya, who was born in January 2021. In the same month, a tragic incident occurred in our house. My son was taken by Ankur to his house, and from there they went to Birbal Chhero's house to drink alcohol. Birbal Chhero’s daughter, Neha, took his mobile and went away. When my son tried to ask for his mobile back, Neha refused to give it. In the scuffle, Birbal called the police. My son ran away out of fear of the police and stayed the night at his maternal uncle's house. He called us and informed us of the incident. Afterward, Lila Vati Devi, my son’s aunt, went to the police station and, after pleading, got my son released from there and handed him over to the police. Later, by 9 AM, Birbal Chhero brought his daughter, Neha, to the police station, where Neha gave a statement saying that nothing inappropriate had happened. There was no harassment. Hearing this, Sandeep Jaiswal, a middleman at the station, took Neha out of the police station and after an hour brought her back and said, “She will give a statement now.” The statement was taken in the station, where Neha changed her story and falsely claimed that my son had harassed her. After hearing this, we started pleading again, begging the police and Birbal Chhero and his wife to take back the statement. We kept begging, "Please take money if you need it." Then, the police and middlemen together said, “Give two and a half lakh rupees, and we will release your son.” I started crying and shouting, saying, “Where will I get so much money? I am a poor laborer, managing my household somehow.” They replied, "If you don’t have money, then give us some land, and the station officer will release him." Then my husband asked the station officer, “Sir, please release him.” The officer said, "If you know someone influential, have them call, and we’ll release him." My husband begged, cried, and pleaded, but no one had a heart, and everyone remained cold. We stayed that evening at my sister's house and went to the station the next morning. Thus, two days passed in vain, begging at the station. After that, the police took my son to court, and from there, he was sent to jail. We went to meet him in jail, visiting him two to three times in January and February. During this time, we sent him 5,000 rupees as money is needed in jail for food.
We thought we could get him out by hiring a lawyer, so I gave the lawyer 25,000 rupees to fight the case. The lawyer was handling our case. Meanwhile, on April 2, my son was talking to his wife in jail when someone complained to the jailer. The jailer called him in and beat him so badly that he died. Afterward, his body was kept in the jail hospital for two days, and we were unaware of this. We received a call on April 4 saying my son was unwell, so we went to the jail to see him. When we arrived, we found out that my son had passed away. We started crying and shouting. They brought his body from the hospital without telling us he had died. We asked, "Where is my son? Bring him back to us in the same condition we had given him." Then, they sent us to the hospital, where we saw his body lying in ice. My husband couldn’t bear to look at him, and I gathered the courage to see him, after which I fainted. My tears wouldn’t stop. It felt as though someone had killed me too.
We told the police, “Kill us too, what is the point of living? We couldn’t pay two and a half lakh, and you took our son’s life.” The station officer then forced us to sign papers. My husband refused to sign anything. We brought our son’s body home. My daughter-in-law went mad, crying uncontrollably. We didn’t know whom to console, we ourselves couldn’t hold together. Everyone in the neighborhood was crying as they saw him. There was mourning throughout the village. We couldn’t understand anything; all we knew was the pain of losing our son. The pain of his death remains a deep wound in our hearts.
The jailer is responsible for my son’s murder. I demand legal action against him and punishment as per the law, so that my son’s death can be avenged. After telling you all this, it feels as if God himself has come to our aid. Now, we hope we will get justice."
The narrative shared above is deeply tragic and reflects the immense pain, injustice, and systemic corruption faced by marginalized families in India. Below is an analysis of key themes and elements from the story:
1. The Struggle for Justice:
The core of the narrative is a mother’s relentless pursuit of justice after the wrongful death of her son. The story captures the emotional turmoil, helplessness, and frustration of a poor family trying to navigate the legal system, which seems rigged and biased against them. The mother’s pleadings and her desperation reveal the vulnerability of the poor and powerless in the face of authority.
2. Police Brutality and Corruption:
The police are central figures in the story, depicted not as protectors of justice, but as perpetrators of oppression. The police's involvement in extorting money (two and a half lakh rupees) from the family for the release of the son and their subsequent indifference to the son's death raise questions about the integrity of law enforcement and the lack of accountability within the system. The role of intermediaries (like the "middleman" Sandeep Jaiswal) who exploit vulnerable individuals is also highlighted.
3. Systemic Injustice and Exploitation:
The narrative exposes the deep-seated exploitation of the poor by powerful authorities, not only within the police force but also in the judicial and legal systems. Despite the mother’s repeated attempts to appeal for help, it is evident that money and influence determine the fate of individuals in such cases. The conditional release of the son based on monetary transactions showcases how the justice system, instead of protecting the marginalized, becomes another tool for exploitation.
4. Emotional and Psychological Toll:
The mother’s emotional journey is central to the story. The intense grief and despair that she experiences upon learning of her son’s death, coupled with the feeling of helplessness when denied justice, reflect the profound psychological and emotional impact of such injustices. The moment she sees her son’s lifeless body and her tears symbolize the rupture of familial bonds and dreams, which cannot be repaired even by the passage of time.
5. The Role of the Legal System:
Despite efforts to hire a lawyer and get her son released, the mother’s family faces further victimization, not just from the police but also from the legal professionals involved. The eventual false statement and the cover-up of her son’s death demonstrate how the legal process can be manipulated to serve the interests of the powerful, leaving families like hers without hope for justice.
6. Poverty and Marginalization:
The story underscores how poverty, particularly in rural and marginalized communities, leaves families with few choices. The mother's repeated mention of her inability to raise the required amount of money reflects the socioeconomic conditions that trap families in cycles of poverty and exploitation. The family’s inability to pay the bribe or provide land for release showcases the stark inequalities that exist in the justice system.
7. The Call for Accountability:
At the conclusion, the mother calls for legal action against the jailer responsible for her son’s death, underscoring the call for accountability and justice. This plea, while filled with hope for justice, also represents the stark reality that systemic change is necessary for the marginalized to be treated with dignity and respect.
Conclusion:
The narrative is a poignant reflection of the broken systems that fail to protect the most vulnerable in society. It highlights police brutality, systemic corruption, exploitation, and the immense emotional burden placed on the victims. The story calls attention to the urgent need for legal reforms, transparency, and genuine protection for the marginalized from both law enforcement and the legal system. The mother’s call for justice is not just a plea for her son, but a demand for accountability and reform in a society where power and money often overshadow fairness and truth.
Comments
Post a Comment