Gujarat: Murder Charges Filed Against Three Cops After A Man Thrashed In Custody Dies

AHMEDABAD: Murder charges have been filed against three police constables in Gujarat's Botad district, following the death of a 28-year-old man after he was allegedly badly beaten up while in custody, a police official on Tuesday.

The three constables reportedly posted at Botad Town police station, took away a labourer identified as 28-year-old Kalu Padharshi up from his residence on April 14, for questioning in relation to a case.

Padharshi later alleged that he was severely thrashed in custody. He died at a hospital in Ahmedabad, succumbing to his injuries, a month later on May 14, the official said.

Amiraj Boricha, Rahil Sidatar and Nikulsinh Jadhav- the three accused constables- have been booked on charges of murder of Padharshi, said Botad district Superintendent of Police Kishor Baloliya.

"An FIR in this regard was registered at Botad Town police station on Monday night. It is alleged that the accused constables thrashed Padharshi when he was in their custody on April 14. Though he was let off the same day, his condition deteriorated afterwards and he eventually died on May 14 during treatment at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital," Baloliya said.

According to the FIR, the three constables landed up at Padharshi's residence in Botad town on April 14, seeking details about a person unknown to him, as a part of their investigation into a case.

After the labourer Padharshi denied having any information about the man they were seeking, the three then proceeded to ask him to produce his motorcycle’s registration papers.

All three of them were in civil dress but identified themselves as the police, Padharshi asked them for their identity cards to ascertain they were indeed policemen.

Miffed at his demand for display of identity cards, the accused trio allegedly proceeded to thrash him and then took him to the police station for custody, said the FIR.

Padharshi was released on the afternoon of April 14. That’s when he told his family that he was brutally beaten up while in custody and said the accused policemen also crashed his head against a wall.

After Padharshi's health went from bad to worse in a few days, he was first referred to a hospital in Botad on April 17 and then to Bhavnagar city government hospital. The doctors there diagnosed him as suffering from a brain hemorrhage, the FIR added.

On April 20, he underwent brain surgery at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where he had been referred to.

After that, he had to be kept on ventilator support. He died on May 14 while his treatment was still on, according to the FIR.

Also Read: Amit Shah Warns Of Stern Punishment To Those Responsible For Manipur Violence

Also watch: