Haridwar: A Sessions Court has directed police to register a murder case against six personnel of Uttarakhand Police in the custodial death of 24-year-old Wasim “Monu” Qureshi. The case, which had faced repeated delays, now includes three identified policemen and three unnamed personnel.
The accused include Sub-Inspector Sharad Singh, constables Sunil Saini and Praveen Saini. They face charges under Sections 103(1) for murder, 351(3) for criminal intimidation, and 3(5) for common intention of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Qureshi, a gym trainer from Sohelpur Gada village, was found dead in a pond in Madhopur on August 24, 2024. His family alleged that he was intercepted by a police cow protection squad, beaten, and then pushed into the pond. Eyewitnesses said officers prevented locals from rescuing him, threatening them with firearms.
The family denied allegations of cow slaughter and insisted Qureshi was on his way home after visiting his sister. Their complaint stated that he was assaulted near a graveyard in Madhopur and deliberately drowned.
A post-mortem report confirmed six injuries on his body prior to death, supporting the family’s claim of custodial violence. Despite this, police initially filed cases against Qureshi’s cousin and more than 150 villagers for allegedly attacking the squad.
After repeated refusals by police to file a murder case, the family approached the Haridwar Chief Judicial Magistrate. CJM Avinash Kumar Srivastava reviewed medical and video evidence and ordered an FIR, a directive later upheld by the Sessions Court.
