Jharkhand: In a shocking incident, a newborn infant died allegedly after being trampled under police boots during a raid in Jaharkhand's Giridih district on Wednesday, March 22. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Hemant Soren ordered an investigation as soon as the matter came to light.
According to reports, the incident occurred when police personnel went to Koshodinghi village under Deori police station to arrest two persons in connection with a case. Notably, the Opposition BJP in the state has demanded the immediate suspension of senior officials in view of the matter.
"It has been alleged that a four-day-old boy died when the police went there to execute two non-bailable warrants issued by the court. Prima facie, external injuries have not been found on the baby’s body. It has been sent for postmortem examination," news agency PTI quoted Amit Renu, Giridih Superintendent of Police, as saying.
Police waiting for autopsy report
The SP further said that the police would be in a position to say what actually happened over the autopsy report comes. He stated that a group of medical professionals, under a magistrate's supervision, will conduct the autopsy with videography.
"Right now we don't have any information that any policeman had crushed the infant. If the allegation is found to be true, the erring personnel will not be spared," SP Renu added. He said four to five police personnel had gone to execute non-bailable warrants against Bhushan Pandey, grandfather of the deceased infant, and another person.
BJP terms incident 'heinous'
Senior BJP leader and former chief minister Babulal Marandi termed the alleged crime 'heinous' and demanded immediate filing of FIR in the case besides suspension of senior officials who did not take immediate action.
"Chief Minister Hemant Soren ji, have some shame. Send a team of senior officials from Ranchi. First of all, get the FIR done and send the policemen who killed the newborn to jail. Otherwise, you will also not be saved from the sin of 'sarkari hatya' of a four-day infant,” Maranti tweeted.
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Probe ordered after a video went viral
It should be noted here that the probe into the incident was ordered after a video went viral in which a person, apparently Bhushan Pandey, is seen alleging that police personnel raided their home at 3.20 am and they opened the door using force when it was not opened.
"I fled and the women also rushed out. The policemen started searching the house when the four-day-old child was sleeping there. The baby was crushed and killed," the person in the video claimed. Meanwhile, ruling JMM legislator from Giridih, Sudivya Kumar assured that stringent action will be taken against the guilty.
(With PTI inputs)
