25-year-old dies at Ropar police station; kin stage protest, vandalise police vehicle

A 25-year-old Nepalese man died under mysterious circumstances in police custody at Rupnagar City police station in the wee hours on Sunday. Deceased Prince Bahadur was in a two-day police custody over a case of drug overdose death of Shampura youth Amanpreet Singh near Mohali on April 18.

According to the police, the suspect was a drug peddler who was picked up from a hospital on April 16.

Family members staged a protest outside the police station and vandalised a police vehicle. After the incident, the main gate of the police station remained closed in the morning. Protesting family members alleged physical torture with a sharp-edged object and demanded strict action against the policemen responsible for the “assault”.

Family members said two policemen came to their home on Sunday morning to inform that Prince Bahadur had hanged himself to death with a blanket at the police station.

However, the family members claimed that when they had gone to the police station on Saturday night to give him food, Prince was in poor state and was unable to stand on his feet. The deceased, a resident of Gandhi Chowk, is survived by his wife and five-year-old son.

An inquiry is being conducted under the judicial magistrate in the case. Rupnagar SSP Gulneet Singh Khurana said, "The statement of the kin is being recorded. Action will be taken according to the NHRC guidelines. The deceased was a drug peddler and used to consume drugs. He was being probed in a case related to a death due to drug overdose."