Former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and activist Amitabh Thakur has been hospitalised due to a cardiac ailment while lodged in Deoria district jail. Thakur, arrested on December 10 in connection with an alleged fraud and cheating case related to a 1999 industrial plot allotment, was referred to Lucknow for advanced medical treatment on Wednesday after complaining of severe chest pain.
Medical Emergency and Transfer
The incident unfolded on Tuesday night when Thakur complained of acute chest pain. Jail authorities promptly moved him to the district hospital in Deoria for an initial check-up. Following the examination, doctors referred him to the specialised cardiac care unit at Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College in Gorakhpur.
Dr. BN Shukla, Chief Medical Superintendent of BRD Medical College, confirmed Thakur's admission and diagnosis. "He was diagnosed with a heart-related problem. Then we referred him to Lucknow for advanced medical care," stated Dr. Shukla. The former officer was transported in an ambulance equipped with an advanced ventilator system for the journey.
Allegations and Demand for Evidence
Prior to his hospitalisation, Thakur had made serious allegations regarding his arrest on December 10 from Shahjahanpur railway station. He claimed he was taken into custody from inside a train and that police personnel misbehaved with him. His lawyer, Abhishek Sharma, reiterated these claims.
In a recent court hearing, Thakur declared he was on a fast-unto-death protest. He vowed to continue until he was granted access to the CCTV footage and Digital Voice Recorder (DVR) recordings from Shahjahanpur railway station at the time of his arrest. Thakur has written to senior government officials and the Shahjahanpur district administration, formally requesting this evidence through the jail administration.
A video circulating on social media purportedly shows Thakur, while in police custody, stating that the recordings were being deliberately withheld to shield the policemen involved in the alleged misconduct.
Official Denials and Political Support
Deoria district jail Superintendent, Prem Sagar Shukla, denied Thakur's claim of being on a hunger strike. However, he confirmed that Thakur had sent letters requesting the CCTV footage through official jail channels.
The case has drawn political attention. In the first week of January, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai visited Thakur in Deoria jail. After the meeting, Rai told mediapersons that Thakur was being "harassed and troubled" and accused the Yogi Adityanath government of taking revenge. Rai alleged Thakur was denied proper food and facilities, kept under constant CCTV surveillance in barracks, and was targeted after taking up the fake cough syrup case. "The Congress stands firmly with him," Rai asserted.
The former IPS officer remains under medical care as the legal proceedings in the 1999 industrial plot fraud case continue.
