A case was registered agai-nst five policemen on Tuesday for allegedly torturing a Dalit boy in custody and causing loss of his eyesight in Faizabad.

Faizabad SSP RKS Rathore ordered for lodging the FIR after suspending the erring policemen, including Sub-Inspector (S-I) P P Pandey of Ayodhya police station. The action was initiated following a probe conducted by Ayodhya Circle Officer R K Pandey. The policemen were found guilty in the case and booked under the SC/ST Act and other charges, the CO said.

Faizabad SSP R K S Rathore said, “After going through the CSMMU report, I suspended the policemen and also ordered the Ayodhya police station to lodge an FIR against them.” Doctors of the CSMMU have confirmed that the boy had lost his vision.

The police had allegedly picked up Rohit (15) on July 29, claiming that he was involved in the theft of cellphones from a shop at Darshan Nagar locality in Ayodhya. Interestingly, after Rohit was picked up, Rathore had defended the police action saying that he was wanted in a case of theft and the police had recovered 18 mobile phones from him.

Locals had, however, alleged that the police tortured the boy and forced him to confess. The boy’s condition gradually deteriorated in police custody and he was taken to the district hospital.

“I was beaten up in the police custody and had fever on the second day after which S-I Pandey took me to a doctor. After I took the medicines given by Pandey, I was unable to see things properly as everything appeared hazy. Soon I lost my eyesight completely,” Rohit told The Indian Express.

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