Lucknow, Sep 14 (IANS): A police sub-inspector and two constables have been suspended for alleged dereliction of duty that led to the death of an 18-year-old girl who jumped off a moving train with her 27-year-old male companion to escape police custody.

The man and the girl from Sant Kabir Nagar had allegedly eloped in December 2020. They were tracked down in Thane (Maharashtra) and were being brought back to their native district by a police team on September 10.

As soon as the policemen fell asleep, the couple decided to jump off the train near Lalitpur district. The policemen came to know about the incident only when they woke up in Jhansi.

The girl and her companion sustained grievous injuries and then she died on September 11.

Superintendent of Police (SP), Sant Kabir Nagar, Kaustubh, said that the circle officer of Ghanghata has been directed to probe the incident after the suspension on Monday.

Preliminary investigations revealed that three policemen, including sub-inspector Amit Chaturvedi and two constables, were entrusted with the responsibility of bringing the couple back.

"After the incident came to light, a Government Railway Police unit admitted the couple at a local hospital where the girl was declared dead. Her male companion was severely injured and has been shifted to Jhansi district hospital," said the police officer.

The police said the man had two children from his first marriage and after his wife's death, he had an affair with the girl and the couple moved to Thane with the children.

The girl's mother had also gone to Pune with the police team to bring her daughter back. After the post-mortem examination, the girl's parents performed her last rites.

"We are waiting for the man to gain consciousness after which his statement will be recorded," the SHO said.