Image Courtesy:kractivist.org
On July 28, four policemen were booked over the alleged custodial death of two tribal youths, who were found dead on Chikhli police station premises in Navsari, reported Indian Express. The police had earlier claimed that the boys had committed suicide in the police station.
The two deceased boys, Sunil Pawar and Ravi Jadav, aged 19, were detained on suspicion of vehicle theft on July 20 at Chikhli police station. The next day, their bodies were found hanging with an electric cable attached to a computer system in the computer room, states the news report. The policemen, namely, Ajit Sinh Zala (Police Inspector), M B Kokni (Police Sub-inspector), Shanti Sinh Zala (Head Constable), Ramji Yadav (Police Constable) were suspended earlier, and now they have been booked for murder and relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The Navsari DSP Rushikesh Upadhyay told IE that the investigation is being carried out by Deputy Superintendent of Police of Navsari SC/ST cell R D Faldu.
The BJP MLA from Dangs, Vijay Patel, had made representations to the Navsari DSP seeking registration of a case against the four policemen. Congress MLAs Anand Chaudhary, Punaji Gamit and Anant Patel, along with party’s former MP Amarsinh Z Chaudhary Wednesday handed over a memorandum to Mamlatdar of Dharampur Priyanka Patel seeking to book the four police officers, reported IE.
Earlier, the police made claims that the boys had committed suicide. Dangs district observed bandh over the death on July 26 whereby all business establishments and tourist spots in Saputara, Subir, Shamgham, Vaghai Ahwa remained shut.
As per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2019 report ‘Crimes in India’, Gujarat has the highest number of police personnel arrested (14) for custodial deaths and second highest number of reported custodial deaths (10) in the country. The report pointed out that most people who died in custody in Gujarat were not on remand and the explanation given by Gujarat for this is that the deaths have been caused by suicide, illness or by road accident.
To put a stop to such incidents of custodial deaths, the Supreme Court had in Paramvir Singh Saini vs Baljit Singh (SLP Crl. No. 3543 of 2020), directed installation of CCTV cameras in all police stations across the country and specified positions at which they have to be installed. The detailed judgement may be read here.
In January, Arjan Gadhvi was picked up in a case of alleged house break-in from Samaghogha village by three head constables on Mudhra police station, Kutch. He died under mysterious circumstances allegedly due to the torture inflicted by the policemen in custody. The three policemen Shaktisinh Gohil, Ashok Kannad and Jaydevsinh Jhala, have been on the run ever since and have been declared proclaimed offenders. Reportedly, another villager Harjog Gadhvi who was also beaten up and tortured by the accused, succumbed to his injuries days after Arjan’s death.
During the state’s Assembly session in March, the Gujarat government submitted that a total of 157 custodial deaths have been recorded in Gujarat during the last two years, out of which 70 were recorded in 2019 while 87 custodial deaths took place in 2020. This was a response to a question asked by Congress MLA Niranjan Patel during the Question Hour. The state government also stated that nine police officials, including one inspector, two sub inspectors, two assistant sub-inspectors and four constables, have been suspended in connection with these deaths. Also, cases under IPC 302 have been filed against one police inspector, one police sub-inspector, seven constables, reported IE.
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