News Analysis India

Tag: Custodial Death

  • UP businessman death case: Ante-mortem injuries led to death, says autopsy report

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: As the family of businessman Manish Gupta met UP CM Yogi Adityanath in Kanpur on Thursday, the controversy over Gupta’s death deepened after the post-mortem report revealed that he died because of ‘coma due to injuries.’

    Gupta had allegedly sustained injuries during a police raid in his hotel room in Gorakhpur’s Ramgarhtal area as the cops allegedly beat him up brutally when he asked them the reason for the raid. Gupta succumbed to his injuries at BRD Medical College on past Monday midnight.

    The post-mortem was conducted by a panel of two doctors under a video camera on Tuesday. It lists various injuries including abrasions, contusions on the forehead and right hand of the body. The swelling was also found in the middle of the victim’s head along with a cut above the right elbow joint and injuries on the upper lip. The injury on the forehead was major which caused swelling.

    Giving details of the report, police officials said that three lacerated wounds were found on the right hand. The report confirms that cause of death was ante-mortem injuries.

    However, the local police officers claimed that said that all injuries were caused as the deceased had fallen down on his right side.

    ALSO READ | Six cops charged with murder of Kanpur businessman in Gorakhpur

    While the victim’s family has been alleging that he was beaten to death by police in his hotel room on September 27, the cops are claiming that he fell down during the raid as he was drunk and sustained injuries.

    However, the incident resulted in the suspension of six policemen, including SHO Ramgarhtal police station Jagat Narain Singh, SIs Akshay Mishra, Vijay Yadav, and Mridul Dubey, head constable Kamlesh Yadav and constable Prashant Kumar.

    On the basis of the complaint filed by the victim’s wife Meenakshi Gupta, an FIR was also lodged against three cops including Jagat Narain Singh and SIs Akshay Mishra and Vijay Yadav. Three unnamed personnel have also been booked in the case. All the cops have been charged with murder under Section 302 of IPC.

    In her complaint, Manish Gupta’s wife Meenakshi had named six policemen, but only three were named in the FIR, and the rest three were mentioned as unnamed.

    Gorakhpur police said that they would rope in forensic experts to establish the exact sequence of events. Meanwhile, Manish Gupta’s friends who were accompanying him accused the police of manhandling him as a result of which he was injured and later died.

    However, a video had also surfaced on social media showing Gorakhpur district magistrate Vijay Kiran Anand and police chief Vipin Tada convincing the family against lodging the FIR.

    At the same time, ADG, Gorakhpur zone, Akhil Kumar said that the case was handed over to the crime branch of Gorakhpur police. He said that the SSP Vipin Tada was directed to set up a team of investigation officers to look into all the aspects and conduct a fair probe into the incident. “So that the guilty cops could be punished adequately,” said the ADG.

  • Tribal man’s death in judicial custody: Shivraj Singh Chouhan removes Khargone SP

    By PTI

    BHOPAL: BHOPAL: With the death of a loot accused tribal man in judicial custody turning into a major political issue, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan went into the damage control mode by removing the police superintendent of Khargone district on Sunday.

    Confirming the development, the CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “a judicial probe has already been ordered into the probe and four cops too suspended. Now the SP of Khargone district Shailendra Singh Chauhan is being removed for improper supervision in the entire matter.”

    The CM also announced that the government will take care of the family of another tribal man Kanhaiyalal Bheel, who was killed by a group of men in Neemuch district on August 26, suspecting him to be a thief. “We’ll take care of Kanhaiyalal’s son and his education. Also, houses for Kanhaiyalal’s two brothers will be built and Rs 2 lakh each will be given to them as financial assistance.”

    Sensing that the CM and the ruling BJP was on the back foot, the state Congress unimpressed by the development stuck to its demand of CBI probe into the September 7-8 intervening death of Bishan Bheel, along with Rs 1 crore compensation to the deceased family, a job to his dependents and lodging of a murder case against the cops involved in the matter.

    Just a day before it, a Congress fact-finding team led by senior MLA and ex-minister Vijaylaxmi Sadho had gone to the deceased man’s village to meet the tribal’s kin. They alleged that he died due to police torture. The opposition party’s team also alleged cover-up by the police and government in the entire matter.

    Four days back, a 40-year-old Bishan Bheel, arrested in connection with an August 24 loot case by cops of Bistan police station in Khargone district, had died just a few hours after he was admitted at the Khargone sub-jail.

    While the Khargone district hospital doctors claimed that there were no signs of any torture on Bishan’s body and further claimed that the post mortem established that he died due to septicemia triggered shock, caused by a previous ulcerative infection. The suspended superintendent of the sub-jail claimed that before Bishan was taken into the jail on September 7, he already had torture wounds on his body, owing to which he was sent to the district hospital.

    Enraged over the death, residents of Kharikundi village of Khargone district had attacked the Bistan police station on September 8. Later, acting in the matter, four cops of the Bistan police station were suspended and a judicial probe instituted.

  • Madhya Pradesh: Undertrial tribal man dies in judicial custody, villagers attack police station

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL: Enraged over the death of a loot-accused tribal man in judicial custody, residents of a tribal dominated village went on the rampage, pelting stones and damaging property at Bistan police station in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday.

    Bisan Bheel, 35, a native of Kherkundi village died on Monday allegedly due to wounds suffered in torture during police custody at Bistan police station, prior to being sent to jail,  

    A mob of residents, numbering around 50-60 people, mostly from Kherkundi village attacked the station. The angry mob pelted stones and damaged property inside the police station premises for around half an hour, before additional police force was rushed to the spot to disperse the mob by firing tear gas shells and firing in air.

    Three to five police personnel reportedly sustained injuries in the violence at the police station.

    According to Khargone district police sources, 12 men were arrested (eight on September 3 and four on Monday) in connection with an August 24 loot case, Bisan was among the four men arrested on Monday.

    Before he was sent to Khargone jail, his medical examination was conducted, but no health problems were reported. After being admitted in the jail, he complained of uneasiness and difficulty in breathing at around 00.30 am on Tuesday, after which he was rushed to the Khargone district hospital, where he was declared brought dead  by doctors. 

    “Three vehicles boarded by villagers were on their way to Khargone district hospital on Tuesday, to get the body of the deceased tribal, but suddenly one of the vehicles diverted to the Bistan police station. Those onboard the vehicle later attacked the cops at the police station,” a senior police official in Khargone district said. 

    Meanwhile, in the wake of the attack on the police station by the tribals, who alleged that Bisan died due to police torture by Bistan police station cops, a magisterial probe was ordered by the state government in the tribal’s death. And four cops of Bistan police station, including a sub inspector, a head constable and two constables were suspended in the matter.

    The autopsy of the body was performed by a panel of doctors under camera, but the report is yet to be submitted.

    A sum of Rs 5,000 was released for the tribal’s last rites, Rs 25,000 sanctioned by the Red Cross, while Rs 2 lakh was sanctioned under the Sambal Yojana immediately.

    Meanwhile, the ex-CM and state Congress president Kamal Nath, who had launched the Adivasi Adhikar Yatra on Monday, constituted a five MLAs strong team headed by ex-minister Vijaylaxmi Sadho to probe the entire incident of the alleged custodial death of the tribal.

  • Five MP cops suspended after Gwalior man dies in custody

    By PTI

    GWALIOR (MP): A 30-year-man, who was detained in connection with illegal betting, died while in police custody in Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh, following which five police personnel have been suspended, a senior official said on Tuesday.

    A team from Inderganj police station had taken two people into custody for interrogation, suspecting their involvement in accepting bets, on Monday night, Gwalior’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Amit Sanghi said.

    Around 9 pm, one of the detainees Sonu Bansal vomited after drinking water and was taken to Jayarogya Hospital, where a doctor declared him dead, he said, adding that a magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the death.

    In-charge of Inderganj police station Rajendra Parihar, assistant sub-inspector Brajlal and three constables have been suspended and further investigation is underway, the official said.

  • SC refuses to hear plea for restoration of bail of Himachal Pradesh’s ex-IGP in custodial death case 

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Tuesday refused to entertain a plea for restoration of bail to former Himachal Pradesh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zahur Haider Zaidi in a custodial death case, saying that attempting to influencing a witness, who is a senior IPS officer, is a “very important” charge.

    Zaidi, one of the accused in the case related to the custodial death of a man who was among those arrested on charge of gang-raping a minor school girl in Kotkhai in Shimla district in 2017, was granted bail on April 6, 2019 by the top court which later transferred the case from Shimla to Chandigarh.

    The special trial court at Chandigarh, in January 2020, cancelled Zaidi’s bail after a prosecution witness and IPS officer Soumya Sambasivan alleged that she was being pressured by him to influence the trial.

    The Punjab and Haryana High Court later refused to tinker with the trial court’s order of cancelling Zaidi’s bail.

    “You have been the highest IPS officer (of the state). How can you give threat to another IPS officer. If you can attempt to influence an IPS officer then you can influence and tamper with other witnesses also,” said a vacation bench of justices Indira Banerjee and M R Shah.

    Senior advocate V K Gupta, appearing for Zaidi, said all other accused are on bail and moreover, the former IGP has been in jail for over a year even after the IPS officer made the statement of being pressurised by him.

    He said many witnesses are yet to be examined in the trial and moreover, the main charge against Zaidi was of destruction of evidence punishable with the maximum seven years of jail term.

    “You may consider this a little factor, but as far as criminal trials are concerned, influencing a witness is a very important thing. We are not on the merits of the case, we are on how you did not follow the bail conditions imposed by the trial court,” the bench said.

    Sensing the outcome, the lawyer for Zaidi withdrew the plea against cancellation of bail from the apex court.

    The apex court, while transferring the trial from Shimla to Chandigarh on May 7, 2019, had taken note of the submission of the CBI that though the charge sheet was filed, the trial in the case “has not seen the light of the day” and hence the matter be transferred to other court for expeditious disposal.

    Zaidi and seven others were arrested in the custodial death case of Suraj, who was found dead at the Kotkhai police station on July 18, 2017.

    A 16-year-old girl had gone missing in Kotkhai on July 4, 2017 and her body was found from the Halaila forests two days later on July 6.

    The post-mortem report had confirmed rape and murder and a case was registered.

    Amid a huge public outcry in the state, a SIT headed by Zaidi was constituted by the then Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government.

    The SIT arrested six persons, and after the custodial death of one of the accused Suraj, the high court had handed over the investigations of both the cases to the CBI.

    The CBI had arrested Zaidi, DCP Joshi and other policemen in connection with the custodial death.

  • Family alleges custodial torture after Rajasthan youth dies in custody of MP police narcotic wing

    By Express News Service
    BHOPAL: Five cops of the Madhya Pradesh Police’s Narcotics Wing posted in the Mandsaur district have been suspended in connection with the custodial death of a 21-year-old Rajasthan youth Sohail Khan.

    Sohail, a resident of Pratapgarh district of Rajasthan was arrested on Friday afternoon for allegedly possessing smack (narcotic substance), but died the next morning in narcotics wing police’s custody.

    While alleging that sub-inspector Rajmal Dahima had demanded Rs 45 lakh — failing which Sohail would be implicated in a false NDPS Act of Arms Act case — the youngster’s family demanded that the concerned cops, including the sub-inspector, be booked for murder, as it was their excessive torture which led to Sohail’s death.

    According to Mandsaur district police superintendent Siddharth Chaudhary, “As per preliminary probe, the youth Sohail Khan, who hailed from Rajasthan’s Pratapgarh district was arrested by the Narcotics Wing on Friday night for possessing 90 gm smack. His health suddenly worsened, after which he was brought to the hospital on Saturday morning, where he was declared dead later. As per rules, a judicial probe has been recommended in the matter and the autopsy of the body will be performed under the camera by a panel of doctors.”

    “The senior officials of the state police’s narcotics wing too have been informed about the matter and an internal probe will be conducted by them as well. All aspects of the matter, including the allegations of the youngster’s family will be probed during the judicial enquiry,” Chaudhary added.

    According to key MP police sources, five cops of the narcotics wing posted in Mandsaur, including sub inspector Dahima have been suspended till the probe is completed.

    The deceased youth Sohail’s 29-year-old brother-in-law Asif Khan, also a native of Pratapgarh district which borders Mandsaur, told The New Indian Express on Sunday that he along with Sohail was on way to Mandsaur on Friday afternoon for making purchases for a marriage in the family when their motorcycle was stopped by a white Scorpio boarded by three plain-clothed narcotics wing cops, including sub-inspector Dahima.

    “They stopped us at a toll booth on Mandsaur-Pratapgarh road at around 3.30 pm on Friday, took the keys of our motorbike and herded us into their vehicle, asking us where is the maal (drugs). We told them that we are farmers who are going to Mandsaur to make marriage related purchase. But they were not ready to listen to us and kept thrashing us. We were taken to the narcotics wing police station and were beaten with belts. Sohail was taken to another room and I could clearly listen to one of the cops asking others to hang him for being thrashed brutally,” Asif said.

    “At around 8 pm, they rang one of our relatives Izhar alias Babloo Khan, who is a Community Liaison Group (CLG) member of police in our native Pratapgarh district. He came to a place around a km from the police station in Mandsaur, where I was handed over to him after he made some payment to the cops. They also asked him to pay a heavy sum for Sohail’s release,” Asif alleged further.

    Babloo Khan, seconding Asif’s allegations said, “I was called by sub-inspector Dahima to Mandsaur at around 8 pm on Friday, where he allowed Asif to go only on payment of Rs 4.5 lakh. He demanded Rs 45 lakh for releasing Sohail, failing which he would be framed up in NDPS Act or Arms Act case. On Saturday morning, the narcotics wing cops in Mandsaur rang Sohail’s brother and informed that Sohail was hospitalized after developing health problems. When we reached the hospital on Saturday morning, we were told that Sohail had already died. The injury marks on Sohail’s body clearly suggest that he was tortured to death. The cops should be booked for murder.” 

  • Death of youth in police custody triggers protest in Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur

    By PTI
    JAUNPUR: The death of a man allegedly in police custody in the Buxa area here triggered protests by locals who blocked a national highway and indulged in stone pelting, leading to injuries to several policemen.

    Superintendent of Police Raj Karan Nayyar has ordered the suspension of three policemen, including the in-charge of the Buxa police station, and ordered a magisterial inquiry into the death of Kishan Yadav, alias Pujari, who was taken into custody for questioning in a loot case.

    Later, the Buxa SHO, SOG in-charge and other policemen were booked for murder, after which the body was sent for a post-mortem, SP (City) Sanjay Kumar said.

    A crime branch team had brought four to five youths for questioning in the loot case to the Buxa police station on Thursday.

    Yadav, 25, who was among them, was taken ill during the night and was rushed to the community health centre.

    From there he was referred to the district hospital but he died during treatment, Nayyar said.

    Evidence of loot had been found against Yadav and he was taken into custody for questioning, the SP said.

    As soon as the news of the death of Yadav spread, his family and locals gathered on the Lucknow-Varanasi national highway and staged a protest.

    They also indulged in brick batting, resulting in injuries to Circle Officer (City) Jitendra Dubey and other policemen, Nayyar said.

    Police and Provincial Armed Constabulary personnel have been deployed in large numbers in the area to maintain law and order, he said.

    The family alleged that the youth died after being severely beaten up in custody.