Drugged to confess: Ryan conductor

Sumedha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Gurugram, November 23

Bus conductor Ashok Kumar has stepped out of jail after being granted bail, but the trauma is far from over as he is yet to recover both physically and mentally.

Claiming to have been drugged and electrocuted to force a confession, he said the Gurugram police had ruined his life. “My legs do not move properly and my brain feels sluggish all the time. Everybody encourages me, but somewhere down in my heart I know that I will never be the same again. I may never be mentally and physically fit to earn again,” he said.

Following the CBI’s statement of not having any evidence to prove his involvement in Pradyuman Thakur murder case, a local court had granted him bail.

Recalling his ordeal, he said, “I can say I faced hell. When I picked the bleeding child in my arms to take him to hospital, I had never thought that it would change my life. After a few hours of being asked simple questions in school, I was taken to the police station.”

Reliving his shocking experience, he said, “I was calm thinking I would be made witness. They slapped me and said I would have to admit that I was the murderer. I resisted and soon they started injecting something which made me forget everything.”

Recounting his trauma, he said, “I was not able to make out what I heard and said yes repeatedly. When I resisted in my senses, they gave me electric shocks. For days I was tortured and asked to say only yes. After I was sent to jail, I behaved like a mad man, said inmates. I still feel mentally unwell.”

Ashok reached home last night and remained uneasy, screaming in his dreams. According to his family members and other villagers, his health was deteriorating by the hour as he kept complaining of constant chest pain.

“The village is pooling money to take him to a cardiologist. He has chest pain and his legs, back and neck are numb. A local doctor said his treatment would cost around Rs 2 lakh. After donating for his bail, villagers are collecting money to save him. I wish those who thrashed him get severe punishment,” said his wife Mamta.