After public outcry, five cops suspended

Custodial death of 26-year-old at Wadala police station

Following the death of a 26year-old medical representative, Vijay Singh, at the Wadala Truck Terminus police station on Sunday night, five policemen, including two officers, were suspended on Tuesday. Singh died shortly after he was taken to Wadala TT police station for questioning in an assault case. He was allegedly beaten up by policemen and denied medical assistance, even after he complained of chest pain.

"After the primary inquiry, we have suspended an assistant police inspector (API), police sub-inspector (PSI) and three police constables (PC)," said Mumbai Police spokesperson DCP Pranay Ashok.

The five have been identified as API Sandeep Kadam, PSI Salim Khan, and constables Bhabal, Chaure and Chole.

After the incident, locals gathered outside the police station in large numbers. The police had to resort to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control. The protesters also broke the windshield and windows of a BEST bus, demanding that an FIR be lodged against the duty officer.

On Sunday night, there was a scuffle between Singh and a couple, identified as Dashrath Devendra and Afreen, who were seated near the Wadala RTO; the couple alleged that Singh had been purposely switching his bike's headlights on and off to pester them.

In the ensuing fight, both parties beat each other and the police were called to the spot.

According to Satyendra Singh, the cousin of the deceased, "The police came and thrashed Vijay after the girl accompanying the complainant claimed that they had been assaulted. He was beaten on the way to the police station as well."

Inside the police station, he was kept in the lock-up, where he was beaten again, Satyandra has alleged. When Vijay complained of chest pain,

the police did not attend to him; neither did they give him water, when he asked for some; nor did they allow his family to assist him, claimed Satyendra.

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

But Satyendra has another grudge. "When we asked the police to provide us with a vehicle to go to hospital, they turned down our request, saying they did not have petrol. Finally, we had to book a private cab."

Mumbai Police have made it clear they are treating the incident as a case of custodial death and the probe has been accordingly transferred to the crime branch.

The post-mortem was conducted at the JJ Hospital in the presence of the metropolitan magistrate and has also been video-recorded, as per the guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Late, on Tuesday night, an FIR was lodged against Devendra and Afreen, under IPC sections for voluntarily causing hurt (323), wrongful confinement (341), criminal intimidation (506, Part Il), intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace (504), false information, with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person (182) and false charge of offence made with intent to injure (211).