The inhuman face of Gorakhpur police came to the fore when a middle-aged man, who went out to purchase medicine, was chased after which he chose to jump into a river and drowned on Wednesday morning.
As per reports, Shiv Kumar (50) of Banswari hamlet of Sant Kabir Nagar was undergoing treatment from a doctor having clinic in Sikriganj market of Gorakhpur.
Kumar was trying to get medicines but was unable to visit the doctor due to lockdown as it was situated two kilometres away from his house on Gorakhpur-Sant Kabir Nagar border.
Facing problems, Kumar decided to collect the medicines from his doctor and left his house at 7 am on Wednesday. He crossed a bridge on Quano river dividing Gorakhpur and Sant Kabir Nagar but the police on the other side forced him to return home even after he narrated his ordeal.
A desperate Shiv Kumar later decided to swim across the river instead of taking the bridge. But as he crossed the river, he once again found cops on the river bank.
Upon seeing him, the cops chased Shiv Kumar and in order to save himself, he jumped into the river and drowned midstream.
Some locals jumped to save him and later rushed him to the community health centre (CHC) in Haiderbazar, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
A case was registered, and the body was sent for autopsy. A probe is on.
Meanwhile in Mirzapur, two persons died after falling in wells in different localities.
Nagendra aka Kaushal (12) of Chandragarh Mudail hamlet in Halliya went out to graze cattle on Wednesday morning.
As he was drawing water from a well, he slipped into it and died. The locals alleged that water supply was affected for the last fortnight and the charges were being looked into by the district authorities.
In another incident in Dewari Uttar locality of Lalganj, 70-year-old Sattani was going to ease himself when he slipped into a well and died on Tuesday night.
Elsewhere in Jaunpur, five persons, including four of a family, died in mishap.
Premchand Gupta of Sarsara hamlet of Barsathi (Jaunpur) constructed a wall which collapsed on Wednesday afternoon and Kapoora Devi (30), Akhilesh aka Bau (27), Lotadhari (35) and their neighbour Pankaj Bind (28) were injured.
While Akhilesh, Lotadhari and Pankaj were sent to Bhadohi for treatment, Kapoora Devi was taken on a bike by Lakshman and Usha to Miyachak Market community health centre when they were knocked down by a speeding pickup and all three died.
Akhilesh and Pankaj Bind were also pronounced dead upon arrival.
Out for medicine, man chased by cops; drowns
Thursday, 30 April 2020 | PNS
| Lucknow
Out for medicine, man chased by cops; drowns
Thursday, 30 April 2020 | PNS | Lucknow