UP woman mistakenly shot by cop, dies during treatment

Aligarh, Dec 14 (IANS) A woman, who was mistakenly shot in the head by a police officer inside a police station in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh district, succumbed to her injuries, on Thursday. 

The incident took place at a police station in Aligarh on December 8 and was captured on CCTV cameras.

The woman, Ishrat Jahan, had entered the Kotwali police station with her son and stood there for a while.

After some time, a police official came and handed a pistol to Sub-Inspector (SI) Manoj Sharma.

While the SI was cleaning the pistol, a bullet was accidentally fired at the woman, causing her to fall to the ground.

The injured woman was rushed to the Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and was receiving treatment there.

She succumbed to her injuries on Thursday.

Security has been beefed up at the hospital and the Kotwali police station.

Meanwhile, police are trying to find SI Manoj Sharma, who is on the run.

A non-bailable warrant has been issued against the absconding Sharma, along with a bounty of Rs 20,000 on his head.

Additionally, a case has been registered against the station-in-charge, Sudip, who has been sent to jail.

SP Kalanidhi Naithani reached the hospital and expressed deep condolences. He assured the victim’s family of justice.

He said strict action will be taken against the accused police officers, and those found guilty will face severe penalties.

A police team has been formed for the arrest of the accused, he said. Former Samajwadi Party MLA Zameer Ullah Khan, who arrived at the medical college, also expressed sorrow over the unfortunate incident.

He questioned whether the perpetrator was a police officer or a criminal, emphasising that the incident should not tarnish the image of the entire police force.

He urged the government to investigate whether the accused was a criminal in uniform. He raised concerns about the lack of swift action and called for justice.

--IANS

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