HIMACHAL MAN ENDS LIFE IN LOCK-UP

DHARAMSHALA:A 22-year-old suspected drug peddler allegedly committed suicide inside a police station lock-up in Indora subdivision of Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district on Friday.

Akash Kumar, a resident of Bhadroya village of Indora, was arrested on October 30 under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic

Substances (NDPS) Act, police said. He was caught with 32gm heroin on Wednesday night by Damtal police and was on a two-day police remand.

Kangra senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vimukt Ranjan, who was on the spot to investigate the matter, told that the accused was found hanging inside the cell on Friday morning.

He said Kumar had used a blanket as a noose to hang self.

He was rushed to a local hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, said the SPP, adding that the body will be sent to Dr Rajendera Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda for postmortem, which will be video recorded.

Inquest proceedings under Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) have been initiated and investigation is on.

Further details in the case are awaited, he said.

The SSP also suspended two policemen who were on duty on the night of incident.

“Police will recommend a judicial probe into the incident,” he said.

It has been revealed that the deceased was earlier too caught in possession of drugs in 2017.

His brother is lodged in a jail in Punjab in a drug smuggling case while a case of drug peddling is pending against his mother.

Bhadroya, a village located on Himachal-Punjab border, is notorious for drug smuggling.

THE ACCUSED WAS CAUGHT WITH 32GM HEROIN ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT BY DAMTAL POLICE AND WAS

ON A TWO-DAY POLICE REMAND

VILLAGERS, KIN STAGE PROTEST

As soon as the news of the incident spread, the residents of Bhadroya village and kin of the deceased gathered in large number outside Damtal police station alleging foul play.

The protesters pelted stone at the police station and later blocked the Pathankot-Jalandhar highway.