Vadodara man under preventive arrest dies by suicide inside lock-up toilet: Police

Around 6.45 am, Vasava went into the washroom attached to the lock up and tied the string of his hooded jacket to the window grill to take the extreme step, police said. The police added that Vasava’s body was found by a fellow inmate, when the latter went into the washroom. The police station-incharge then alerted the police Inspector and senior officials.

Vasava’s sister, who had arrived at the police station on receiving the news of the death, accused the police of torturing her brother.

“I met him last evening when I brought him dinner… He was ok and did not speak anything untoward. The police have tortured and killed him. I want my brother alive…” his sister said outside the police station as the SDM and ACP arrived at the spot to conduct the inquiry.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 3, Abhishek Gupta, who arrived at the spot, said that the investigation had been initiated in presence of the SDM and ACP of the city police and a panel post mortem would be conducted in presence of the SDM and the process will be recorded.

Declining to comment about the accusations of the sister of the deceased, Gupta said, “The panchnama is being recorded by the SDM and ACP and the probe has been initiated. Forensic evidence of the FSL and CCTV footage of the police station will be examined to ascertain what happened… Vasava was in preventive arrest under Section 170 of the BNSS after the police received an application from his wife…”

He added, “A panel postmortem will be held… and if any torture has been inflicted on his person by the police, it will be reported in the post mortem. So far, there has been no direct evidence of police torture and even in the CCTV footage.. the investigation is underway and we cannot make any comment on the accusation.”

Leaders of the Congress unit of Vadodara city also reached the police station and demanded a thorough probe. Opposition leader in the Vadodara Municipal Corporation Chandrakant Shrivastav said, “It is a grave incident that a man has died in police custody… If he was with four other inmates and still managed to die by suicide, it is a matter of investigation how such negligence occurred. We demand justice for his family.”