Sarbjeet Singh
Jammu Tawi, February 02: After the death of a 22-Yr youth from Jiya in Jammu district police station Gandhinagar under interrogation inside the police station, two police officials an ASI Latif Ahmad and SGCT Hayat Ahmad, a Sentry were suspended, while the station house officer, Inspector, Pankaj Sharma was attached with the district police line Jammu.
Police said that this case of custodial death occurred on 31.01.2024 when Gandhi Nagar police station had detained a youth in a theft case. The deceased youth has been identified as Sahil Saini (22), son of Romesh Saini, resident of Nagri, Kathua. Who was arrested u/s 457/380 IPC vide FIR No. 20/2024 P/S Gandhi Nagar, Jammu on 30.01.2024 and was on 04 days police remand as per the orders of the 3rd Additional Munsiff Court, Jammu.
“District Police Jammu suspended two officials and attached SHO Gandhi Nagar to DPL (District Police Lines), showing its commitment to a thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death,” police said in a statement today.
As per standard protocol, the police said the body of the deceased was shifted to Government Medical College, Jammu and a request has been made for the constitution of the board of doctors to conduct an autopsy in the presence of a first-class executive magistrate to determine the cause of death. The Jammu's district magistrate has also been requested to initiate a magisterial inquiry into the incident, they said.
Field reports gathered by this scribe revealed that the deceased Sahil Saini was caught by a police Constable Sandeep Singh posted at Khalsa Chowk area of Nanak Nagar around 1.00 in the midnight of January 27-28. Sahil was caught in suspicious circumstances. On search and frisking, some goods that police suspected as stolen, were recovered from Sahil.
After investigation, it was found that the deceased Sahil had committed a theft from a Mobile phones shop of one Mr. Kamal located nearby at Gurudwara Road, Nanak Nagar.
Reports said that Sahil was taken to Police Station and has been under sustained ‘interrogation' in Gandhi Nagar police station since then.
According to the sources, during interrogation, Sahil had confessed to committing some other thefts too. However, on the cause of custodial death, the police are tightlipped and some officials give the stereo typed story of a suicide.
Sources said that on the night of 31st January, Sahil's health deteriorated after shrill crying. He was taken to Jammu Medical College Hospital for treatment where the doctors declared him brought-dead.
Sahil's family accuses the police of extra-judicial killing of their kin by sustained third degree torture by the policemen in such a severe cold that he could not withstand. They further alleged that he was taken into police custody on the intervening night of January 27-28 which produced in the court on January 30.
The family members accused that Sahil's feet were turned black from the soles due to severe beating with Batons and his one arm was also broken.
The family members alleged that even at the time of postmortem, the police did not allow any of Sahil's family members to go inside during the autopsy process.
A close kin of the deceased expressed that they would never get justice being poor and culprits will never get punished in this system. Family members said they do not have any confidence in the magisterial enquiry which is simply eyewash to gain the time and allow the situation to cool down.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sunil Gupta DIG Jammu-Samba-Kathua Range made a surprise visit to the ‘Modern Police Station' Gandhi Nagar Jammu and interacted with the police personnel inside the police station. He inspected the police station and stressed on the timely disposal of public complaints by the police station staff. He also stressed upon the SHO to prepare the police station staff in his area of responsibility and asked him to pay special attention to vehicle theft, NDPS, POCSO, special reported cases and strengthening the beat system.
