Mumbai: Five policemen suspended over custodial death of 26-year-old man

Mumbai: Five policemen, including two junior officers, were on Tuesday suspended in connection with the alleged custodial death of a 26-year-old man in Mumbai, an official said.

Vijay Singh, a resident of Sion area who worked as a medical representative in a pharmaceutical firm, died after he was detained at the Wadala Truck Terminus police station for questioning in an assault case on Sunday.

The victim's family members and his friend alleged that he was beaten to death in police custody.

"An assistant police inspector, a sub-inspector and three constables of the Wadala TT police station have been suspended after an inquiry into the incident," a police spokesperson said.

The suspended officers are Salim Khan, an assistant police inspector, and Sandeep Kadam, a sub-inspector, the police said.

The incident is being treated as a case of custodial death and the crime branch has started probing it, he said.

The post-mortem was being done at the state-run J J Hospital in the presence of a metropolitan magistrate and guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) were being followed, the official added.

According to the police, Singh was released after he complained of chest pain and collapsed at the gate of the police station.

Singh's friend Ankit Mishra, who was with him at the of the incident, alleged that the duty officer and constables beat up the victim and did not even give him water when he asked for it.

"When he was unable to speak because of the pain, the duty officer asked his family members, who were waiting outside the police station, to hire a cab and take him to hospital," Mishra alleged.

On Tuesday, Singh's family members and locals protested outside the Wadala Truck Terminus police station and sought a meeting with the Mumbai Police Commissioner.

The protesters, holding placards and banners, demanded an FIR against the duty officer and other police personnel who allegedly assaulted Singh.

Police later resorted to cane-charge to disperse the squatters, an official said, adding that some unidentified persons hurled stones at BEST buses, damaging windshields of at least one bus. The situation is under control now, he added.

Later in the evening, an offense was registered against the couple, identified as Dashrath Devendra and Afreen, with whom Singh had an altercation on Sunday.

Dashrath Devendra and Afreen were booked under IPC sections related to wrongful restraint, voluntarily causing hurt and intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace, among others, an official said

On Sunday evening, the couple picked up a fight with Singh after accusing him of teasing them, he said. The couple also gave wrong information about the incident following which an NC case was lodged against Singh, the official added.