Patna: The family of six-year-old Aditya Kumar has levelled serious allegations against the police following a protest by BPSC aspirants in Patna on August 25, claiming the child was taken away from them and that his parents were assaulted while being held at a police station.
Aditya, a Class 1 student, had attended the protest carrying the Tricolour. Videos of him questioning police over the treatment of protesters and issues including unemployment and examinations went viral on social media.
Father Claims Family Was Held For Nearly Seven Hours
Aditya’s father, Ranjeet Kumar, said he and his wife, Munni Kumari, were taken to a police station after the incident and kept there for nearly seven hours.
Ranjeet alleged that both he and his wife were assaulted inside the police station. He said the police action began after Aditya questioned officers during the protest.
According to Ranjeet, Aditya had seen an injured student and asked police why the student’s head had been injured. He claimed the child was subsequently taken into police custody.
Family Says Child Was Taken Away Again
Ranjeet said Aditya had insisted on attending the protest and had asked his parents to accompany him. The family eventually went with him because they did not want the child to attend alone.
He said he had no intention of participating in the demonstration and had accompanied Aditya only to ensure his safety. When the family believed the protest had ended, they began returning home.
According to Ranjeet, police stopped Munni Kumari while they were returning and asked about the child. He alleged that Aditya was then taken away from his parents again.
The family claims police assured them they would be taken home with Aditya but instead transported them to a police station, where Ranjeet said he and his wife were questioned and physically assaulted.
Mother Raises Concerns Over Child’s Safety
Munni Kumari also alleged that police assaulted her and warned the family against bringing Aditya to future protests.
She said the family was now fearful about the child’s safety and claimed they were warned of further action if Aditya attended another protest.
The allegations made by Aditya’s parents have not been independently verified.
Police Had Earlier Denied Child Was Detained
Police had previously denied claims that Aditya was detained. Their stated position was that the child was moved to a safe location because of the crowd and tension at the protest site and was later handed back to his parents.
The police have yet to issue a detailed response to the fresh allegations made by Aditya’s parents.
BPSC Protest Continues In Patna
The incident took place amid protests by BPSC aspirants over issues concerning recruitment and competitive examinations.
The protesters have raised demands relating to transparency in examinations, recruitment procedures, the examination calendar, vacancies and alleged irregularities.
On August 25, protesters attempted to march towards the Chief Minister’s residence, leading to a confrontation between police and demonstrators.
