india

Updated: Jul 23, 2019 01:18 IST

A 25-year-old Delhi resident who was arrested from Jaipur for allegedly kidnapping a 16-year-old girl died in police custody on Monday morning.

Rajesh Rao was rushed to the Sanjay Gandhi Memorial hospital by officers of the Mundka police station but he was declared brought dead. Police told the hospital authorities that the man had vomited blood in the bathroom of police station.

The district deputy commissioner of police, Seiju Kuruvilla, who visited the police station, has ordered an inquiry. Police said Rao, a labourer, had tuberculosis. Police suspect prolonged illness may have caused his death.

HT has learned that on July 19, an FIR was filed at the Mundka police station against Rao for allegedly kidnapping a 16-year-old girl on the complaint of the girl’s father. The family said Rao and their daughter belonged to different faiths.

A police officer privy to the case details, who did not wish to be named, said, “A case of kidnapping was registered on July 19. On Sunday night, we received information from Rajasthan police that they had found the couple loitering at a bus station in Sindhi Park at around 11 pm on Sunday. A team went to Sindhi Park police station. They brought the man and the teenage girl to Delhi. They had reached the Mundka police station at around 5 am.”

The investigating officer has reportedly said that at around 6.50am, while he was completing the paperwork related to the case, Rao complained of uneasiness and started vomiting blood. The teenage girl was also at the police station when it happened. Rajesh was taken to hospital but he died on the way.

Officer Kuruvilla said, “The family has also confirmed that Rao had tuberculosis. They have made no allegations. He died of natural causes.”