Behaviour of police with Musahars in UP

http://www.mynews.in/fullstory.aspx?storyid=6147

My name is Pahalu Mushar. I am permanent resident of village Atesua under jurisdiction Cholapur in Varanasi district. In my hamlet two jeep policemen came in the evening. They were asking about my brother Umesh I immediately answered we submit a written statement in Court that we did not have any further relation with him. Umesh never come to visit us.

Police took me in jeep to Cholapur police station from there to Laksharpur and from there to Katharganj and then to Diesel Locomotive Work (D.L.W). He asked for my sister’s house. I with policemen’s went there and my sister husband whose name is Sipahi and he is suffering from night blindness. S.I asked my sister husband to follow him to police station. He urges that he will come to police station in morning. After that they took me to Adalhat police station and I was put in the prison. From Gyanpur, Bhadohi police took Subhas Mushar in custody. Subhash was imprisoned in same cell with me.

Then eight police constables with S.I gathered in police station. One police constable bring screw driver and start repairing old cartridge. I was begging to police constables and S.I for my release, if you want you can beat me 10 lathi or I will give you ten thousand Rupees but please don’t involve me in fake case. I start crying because S.I and police constable starts abusing me. In police station a photograph was taken with all police constables, S.I and cartridge was kept in front of me. I was begging to Police Constables and S.I. how my children and wife will nourished. On next day I was prosecuted and I was punished for one month and seven days. My first day in prison was very painful when I was asked to sweep the floor in front of everyone. I feel shame as I did not do this work earlier in my house.

When I release from prison that time I face problem in meeting with my relatives. When I rummage around for my daughter marriage then they understand me thief. Being an innocent I went to prison that’s why they understand me like that. Now I am facing in arranging my daughter marriage. In prison I have nightmares that my family members are starving and police is abusing and beating my family members.

After returning from prison still I have this problem and I wake with up in the night and saw all people in my family are sleeping.

Police arrest me two times in the night once policemen from five police station came with five jeep and encircle my hamlet that I time I was prosecuted in fake case of ganja. Second time I charged in making cartridge. After taking in many police stations they kept me in prison in another district. I was panic in way as police can do my encounter. I afraid as police are coming when I saw of light of vehicle in my village. I am facing lots of problem as police involved in many fake cases.

Translated Ms. Shabana Khan

Testomony came in to the workshop orgainsed by RCT and PVCHR.