Probe begins into ‘custodial death’

Sunit Dhawan
Tribune News Service
Rohtak, October 31

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The special investigation team (SIT) constituted to probe the custodial death of a Scheduled Caste (SC) youth who died while he was lodged at the Sunaria jail in Rohtak district under judicial custody has begun investigation into the matter.

Relatives and community members of the deceased youth have alleged that he had died due to torture by CIA staff of the police. An FIR under Sections 304-A (Causing death due to negligence) of the IPC and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act has been registered in this regard. Talking to The Tribune here today, the SIT in charge, DSP (Detective) Narayan Chand, said the investigation would cover all aspects of the case and examine the role of police personnel, jail officials as well as PGIMS staffers to get to the bottom of the matter.

Meanwhile, as per sources, the autopsy report has not specified the exact cause of death and the viscera has been sent for histopathological and other examinations to ascertain the reason behind the death.

According to the police, nine persons, including four women, of Sulchani village in Hisar district were arrested while they were trying to smuggle ganja-patti by a truck which was intercepted on the Delhi-Hisar Road in Rohtak on the intervening night of October 18 and 19. The arrested persons were produced before a local court, which sent them to judicial custody for 14 days. The police and jail authorities maintained that while lodged in jail, Pika (27), one of the arrested persons, complained of chest pain. He was taken to PGIMS, where he died during treatment.