Meerut SSP accused of third-degree torture by BKU leader; police deny allegations
Synopsis
BKU B.R. Ambedkar faction president Digvijay Bhatti has alleged that outgoing Meerut SSP Avinash Pandey personally kicked him inside a police cabin, leaving him with an eye injury that doctors say is 70 per cent permanently damaged. Police counter that his injuries came from a scooter skid — a claim backed, they say, by the complainant's own written application.
Key Takeaways
Digvijay Bhatti , president of the BKU B.R.
Ambedkar faction , alleged third-degree torture by outgoing Meerut SSP Avinash Pandey inside the police office.
Bhatti claimed a kick from the SSP struck his eye, with doctors reportedly saying only 30 per cent of his eyesight can be treated.
The alleged incident is linked to an FIR filed against 63 protesters — including Bhatti — following a 8 July demonstration over the Lalita Gautam murder case in Meerut .
The Meerut Police denied the allegations, stating Bhatti and associate Mohit Jatav sustained injuries when their scooter skidded on 19 August 2026 .
Police cited General Diary Entry No.
53 at 5:31 pm , which they say was filed by Bhatti and Jatav themselves regarding the scooter incident.
No independent inquiry had been announced by state authorities as of 21 August 2026 .
Digvijay Bhatti, president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) B.R. Ambedkar faction, on Friday, 21 August levelled serious allegations of third-degree torture against outgoing Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Avinash Pandey, claiming he was detained and beaten inside the police office. The Meerut Police has strongly denied all the allegations.
What Bhatti Alleged
Bhatti claimed that he and an associate, Mohit, visited the SSP to plead innocence in connection with an First Information Report (FIR) filed after a July 8 protest over the Lalita Gautam murder case. He alleged that instead of being heard, the two were taken into a cabin and assaulted by three or four personnel.
'Later, Mohit was speaking to Kaptaan Sahab, saying, 'Sir, we are completely innocent in this matter.' Then they took us into a cabin. There is a side cabin with sofas there. After taking us inside, they hit us with elbows and beat us mercilessly. There were three or four of them,' Bhatti alleged.
Bhatti further alleged that a kick from SSP Pandey struck him directly in the eye during the incident. 'As I was falling at the SSP's feet, he kicked me. That kick struck me directly in my eye. The doctors are now saying that only 30 per cent of my eyesight can be treated,' he said. A video purportedly showing Bhatti with a swollen left eye and bruises circulated widely on social media, amplifying public attention on the matter.
Background: The Lalita Gautam Case
The allegations are rooted in the police response to protests over the murder of college student Lalita Gautam, whose body was found on 15 May in a field in Meerut's Rohta area. Public outrage intensified on 8 July when demonstrators blocked the Meerut Collectorate gate for nearly three hours, demanding the immediate arrest of the main accused, identified as Ankit.
The protest subsequently turned violent after police, led by SSP Pandey, resorted to a baton charge. Authorities subsequently booked 63 protesters — 13 named and 50 unidentified — under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 109, which pertains to attempt to murder. Bhatti was among those named as accused.
Bhatti maintained that he was not present at the protest, having been in Noida-Ghaziabad at the time. 'When the protest took place regarding the Lalita Gautam case, we were not present at that protest; we were in Noida-Ghaziabad. Despite that, we were sent to jail,' he said.
The Police Version
The Meerut Police, in an official statement posted on X, flatly denied the torture allegations. According to police, Digvijay Singh Bhatti and Mohit Jatav are registered history-sheeters at their respective police stations, with multiple cases already on record against them.
The police stated that on 19 August 2026, the two men came to the Civil Lines police station to discuss matters relating to pending cases. While returning home, they allegedly sustained injuries after their scooter skidded. The police added that Bhatti and Jatav themselves submitted a written application at the Civil Lines police station regarding the incident, which was recorded in General Diary Entry No. 53 at 5:31 pm.
What Happens Next
The conflicting accounts — one alleging custodial brutality, the other attributing injuries to a road accident — leave the matter unresolved pending any independent inquiry. Bhatti's claims, if substantiated, could carry serious legal and institutional consequences for the outgoing SSP. As of Friday, no formal probe had been announced by senior state authorities.
Point of View
Catch-all FIR sections against protesters — here, attempt-to-murder against demonstrators at a collectorate gate — and allegations of custodial misconduct that surface precisely when victims seek relief. The police counter-narrative, that injuries came from a scooter skid, is supported by a general diary entry the complainant himself reportedly filed. That detail complicates Bhatti's account but does not resolve it; written applications at police stations have historically been recorded under duress in such disputes. The Lalita Gautam case, the original trigger, has still not seen a conclusive arrest of the named accused — a gap that continues to fuel the Dalit community's distrust of the investigation. Without an independent, time-bound probe, both the torture allegation and the police denial will remain unverified, and institutional credibility will take the larger hit.
NationPress
21 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Digvijay Bhatti allege against Meerut SSP Avinash Pandey?
Bhatti alleged that SSP Avinash Pandey and three or four other personnel beat him inside a cabin at the police office when he went to seek removal of his name from an FIR. He further alleged that a kick from Pandey struck him in the eye, leaving him with a reported 30 per cent treatable eyesight, according to doctors.
What is the Lalita Gautam case that triggered the protests?
Lalita Gautam was a college student whose body was found on 15 May in a field in Meerut's Rohta area. Dalit protesters took to the streets on 8 July demanding the immediate arrest of the main accused, identified as Ankit, alleging a shoddy investigation. The protest turned violent after police resorted to a baton charge, leading to FIRs against 63 people.
How has the Meerut Police responded to the torture allegations?
The Meerut Police has denied all allegations, stating in an official post on X that Bhatti and associate Mohit Jatav sustained their injuries when their scooter skidded on 19 August 2026 while returning from the Civil Lines police station. Police say the two men themselves submitted a written application about the scooter incident, recorded as General Diary Entry No. 53 at 5:31 pm.
Why was Digvijay Bhatti named in the FIR?
Bhatti was among 13 named accused in an FIR filed after the 8 July protest over the Lalita Gautam murder case. He denies being present at the protest, claiming he was in Noida-Ghaziabad at the time. He visited the SSP to request removal of his name from the case.
Has any independent inquiry been ordered into the allegations?
As of 21 August 2026, no independent probe had been announced by senior Uttar Pradesh state authorities. The matter remains a contested dispute between Bhatti's custodial brutality allegation and the police's road-accident explanation.
