india

Updated: Apr 25, 2019 07:43 IST

A 22-year-old suspect in a theft case was allegedly beaten to death in a police station in Indore, following which the police station in-charge has been suspended and the district collector has ordered a magisterial inquiry, the police said.

SP (West) Suraj Verma said, “The incident took place at the Gandhi Nagar police station. A suspect was brought in for questioning, but he fell ill and the doctor said he had low blood pressure. He was taken to hospital, but died. We have suspended the police station in-charge and a magisterial inquiry has also been ordered.”

The family members and other local leaders have a different version to narrate. BJYM leader Shravan Singh Chavda said Sanjay alias Sanju Balai of Rinjlai village and his brother were taken to the police station at 11 am on Tuesday. Sanju and his brother were kept separately and they allegedly beat up Sanju. At around 4 pm, his family members received information from the police station that Sanju’s health had deteriorated, following which they went to the station in-charge Nita Derwal, but she did not listen to them.

Later, when his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to a private hospital and then to the government-run MY Hospital where he was declared brought dead. Chavda said he too had met the station in-charge and asked them to release Sanjay, but she had not agreed.

Fearing tension in the area, additional police force was deployed at the police station and also at the Rinjlai village, where the situation is reported to be normal. The body has been sent for post mortem and the result is awaited, the police said.

This is not the first custodial death in Madhya Pradesh this year. A youth had died in custody in Morena district in February following which there were clashes between the police and villagers.

(With inputs from Puneet Vijayvargiya).