Kanpur: Two policemen posted at Panki police station were suspended for alleged negligence after a departmental inquiry found that the body of a missing potato commission agent was treated as unclaimed and cremated without establishing his identity.Industrial Area outpost in-charge Vikas Verma and sub-inspector (SI) Sharad Kumar were suspended after a preliminary inquiry by DCP West SM Qasim Abidi held them responsible for alleged negligence in the case of potato commission agent Devesh Shukla.The inquiry found that Verma had been informed that Shukla was found injured, but he neither took the matter seriously nor informed senior officers. It also held Kumar responsible for failing to verify the deceased’s identity before preparing the inquest papers for the postmortem. Departmental action has also been recommended against both officers for negligence.Manoj Kumar Shukla, a resident of Juhi, runs a commission agency in Chakarpur Mandi under the name Devesh Kumar Yogesh Kumar and Sons. His brother, Devesh Shukla, went to the market on July 2 and never returned.On July 5, Manoj lodged a complaint at Sachendi police station against market trader Sanju Pal, his accountant Tinku Yadav and auto driver Pranshu on charges including abduction. Police arrested Sanju Pal and sent him to jail. On Saturday, while returning from court after a hearing in the case, Manoj visited the field unit office and learnt that his missing brother, Devesh, had died on July 7 and that the postmortem and cremation had been carried out on July 10.According to the inquiry, on July 3, Panki police received information from an unidentified caller that an injured man was lying near Maurang Mandi. Blood was oozing from his head and nose, and froth was coming from his mouth. He was taken to CHC Kalyanpur and later referred to Ursula Hospital, where he died.The family alleged that had the Panki police informed the ACP, Devesh’s identity could have been established in time. They also alleged that due to police negligence, they were deprived of performing his last rites.
