Jhansi (UP) — A 62-year‑old man arrested in connection with an alleged sexual harassment of a nine‑year‑old girl died after being found hanging inside the Gursarai police station on Monday, police and family members said, prompting local unrest and an official inquiry.
Arrest, custody and collapse
The deceased, identified by family members as Rajendra, served as the priest of a temple in Singar village. He was arrested on Sunday afternoon after a complaint that accused him of inappropriately touching the minor, according to police. Rajendra was held at Gursarai police station for questioning through the night.
Police said the man was discovered hanging from the grill of a toilet window in the station premises on Monday morning. Station staff rushed him to a nearby community health centre (CHC), from where he was referred to Jhansi Medical College. He was declared dead a few hours later while undergoing treatment.
Family alleges framing, tensions in village
Rajendra's family members staged protests at Singar village following the death, alleging that he had been falsely implicated and subjected to undue pressure while in custody. The eldest son told reporters the accusation had followed a dispute over temple land and that his father, the third in his family to look after the shrine, was being targeted. He said the complaint came after an incident in which a girl entered the temple compound to pluck flowers and his father objected to her presence.
SSP Jhansi BBGTS Murthy said he has directed SP City Preeti Singh to conduct an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Tension in Singar village led to the deployment of additional police personnel as a precautionary measure, officials said.
Official response and probe
Senior police officials in Jhansi confirmed the death and said the SSP had ordered an inquiry into the circumstances. No further details on the progress of the inquiry, forensic findings or whether any departmental action has been initiated were released immediately.
- Location: Gursarai police station, about 70 km from Jhansi city.
- Accused: 62‑year‑old temple priest, Rajendra (per family).
- Allegation: Sexual harassment of a nine‑year‑old girl (per complaint).
- Follow‑up: Inquiry ordered by SSP; extra police deployed in Singar village.
| Timeline | Details |
|---|---|
| Sunday afternoon | Arrest of the priest at Singar village on complaint of alleged harassment |
| Monday morning | Found hanging in toilet window grill at Gursarai police station; taken to CHC |
| Monday (hours later) | Declared dead at Jhansi Medical College; family protests follow |
The death of a person in police custody in cases involving minors draws attention to the procedures followed during detention, the protection of accused and complainants, and the need for transparent medico‑legal and administrative processes. Local residents and civil‑society observers will be watching the inquiry's findings closely, given the family's allegations of a land dispute and claims of a false complaint.
The police have so far detailed the basic sequence of events but have not published findings from any post‑mortem or internal probe. The SSP's instruction to SP City Preeti Singh initiates an internal examination; whether an independent or magisterial inquiry will be ordered has not been announced.
As the inquiry proceeds, authorities will need to establish the cause of death conclusively, review custody records and statements of station staff, and address community concerns to prevent escalation of tension in and around Singar village.
Further updates will depend on the results of the police inquiry and any formal reports released by medical or law‑enforcement authorities.
