Over a year after the death of 24-year-old Wasim “Monu” Qureshi, police in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, have filed a murder case against six officers, as directed by the Haridwar Sessions Court.
The case identified Sub-Inspector Sharad Singh, constables Sunil Saini and Praveen Saini, along with other unidentified officials, for allegedly assaulting Qureshi and pushing him into a pond, where he drowned.
Qureshi’s body discovered in pond
Qureshi’s body was discovered in a pond in Madhopur, within the jurisdiction of Gangnahar police station in Uttarakhand, on August 24, 2024. His family alleged that he was brutally beaten and thrown into the water by a six-member cow protection squad.
A resident of Sohelpur Gada village, Qureshi, worked as a gym trainer and had come to Madhopur to visit his sister. His family claims he was on his way home when the incident took place, Maktoob Media reported.
“When he was returning home (on a scooter), sub-inspector Sharad Singh, Constable Sunil Saini, Praveen Saini, and three other cops stopped him near a graveyard located in Madhopur village,” read the family’s complaint.
According to the complaint, they began beating him and swiftly threw him into the pond.
“They didn’t allow him to come out despite his repeated attempts. Hearing his screams, Sufiyan, Sonu, and others tried to save him, but the policemen threatened them to go away, or else they would be shot. Action should be taken against the culprit police officials.”
Post mortem reveals six injuries
The post-mortem report revealed six injuries on Qureshi’s body prior to death, suggesting he may have been physically assaulted.
Initially, the police had filed a case against Qureshi’s cousin, Allauddin, along with over 150 others, accusing them of attacking the cow protection squad.
Allauddin had made several attempts to get a murder case registered, but authorities refused until he took the matter to the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Haridwar.
After examining medical records and video footage, CJM Avinash Kumar Srivastava directed the police to file an FIR. This order was later upheld by the Additional District and Sessions Court, the report stated.
Police registered the case under Sections 103(1) (murder), 351(3) (criminal intimidation) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
