india

Updated: Jun 20, 2019 00:04 IST

A 25-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death under custody at Bhopal’s Bairagarh police station on Tuesday night, his family said.

Shivam Mishra and his friend, Govind Sharma, were taken to the police station after their SUV rammed into Bhopal’s Bus Rapid Transit System corridor on Tuesday. Police claim Mishra was in an inebriated condition at that time.

Mishra’s uncle, Hridesh Bhargava, said Sharma told them that they were beaten in the police station. “Shivam was fainting repeatedly but the police did not stop. Later, they informed Govind that his friend had fallen ill and had been taken to the Civil Hospital. When Govind reached the hospital Shivam had died. Govind informed the family members,” Bhargava said.

“The hospital administration told us that when police took Shivam to the hospital, the doctor had declared him brought dead but inhuman police personnel did not inform the family and left the body in the hospital by informing his friend. He was killed and a case should be registered against them.”

The family also alleged that police stole Shivam’s gold chain.

Mishra’s family protested at Bhopal’s Hamidia Hospital, where his body was taken for post mortem. Top police officials convinced the family to let the autopsy take place after assuring them of action against the guilty.

Bhopal’s deputy police inspector general Irshad Wali said five policemen have been suspended. “The CCTV footage of Bairagarh police station is being checked and the guilty will not be spared.” The five include inspector Ajay Mishra. Madhya Pradesh home minister Bala Bacchan has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter.

Former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the accused policemen should be booked for murder and alleged the Congress-led state government has failed in governance.