Shahjahanpur police custody death: Rape accused died of heart attack, reveals autopsy

Shahjahanpur (UP), Jul 7 (PTI) A man who died in police custody after he was picked up for questioning for allegedly raping his minor stepdaughter had suffered a heart attack, police said on Tuesday, citing the post-mortem report. According to police, Pradeep was brought to the Sidhauli police station on Sunday evening based on a complaint by his 17-year-old stepdaughter that he had been raping her for the last three years. Pradeep's last rites were conducted under strict police security on Monday. In her complaint, the girl alleged that her stepfather had been sexually assaulting her for the past three years and even after her marriage two months ago, he was refusing to let her live with her in-laws, Superintendent of Police (SP) Saurabh Dixit said. The girl claimed in her complaint that her stepfather continued to assault her after her marriage and threatened to disclose things to her husband if she resisted. Following the complaint, the accused was brought to the police station for questioning on Sunday. His health deteriorated during the night and he was immediately rushed to a hospital, Dixit said. After initial treatment at a primary health centre, he was referred to the Government Medical College, where he died during treatment, the SP said. The post-mortem report revealed that a heart attack was the cause of death, police said. A purported video of the teenager has surfaced online, in which she has also accused her mother of being complicit with her stepfather. She claimed that her mother actively abetted her sexual abuse and that whenever she tried to resist her stepfather, her mother would stop her from fighting back. The teenager further alleged that she was thrice forced to undergo abortions at home. She claimed that her stepfather had confined her to their house, forcing her to drop out of school as he feared she would tell outsiders about the abuse. She was brutally thrashed whenever she protested, the girl claimed. Police said a detailed probe is on in the matter. PTI COR ABN DIV DIV