6 policemen get life term in custody death cases

Uttam Munishwar,who was found dead in police custody on May 23,1998,was arrested by Umarkhed police in an alleged theft case. Munishwar was allegedly seen carrying a stolen kitchen mixer-grinder by a police team and was arrested. The police,led by Inspector Baburao Khandare,had said he hanged himself in the toilet. A panchnama by then sub-divisional officer,however,had found injury marks on Munishwar’s body.

The probe was handed over to Crime Branch,Amravati,that registered an offence of abetment of suicide against two cops Manohar Bhagat and Abdul Rab,who had picked him up.

The deceased’s father Balkrishna Munishwar also moved the High Court alleging Uttam had died in custody due to police assault. The High Court appointed a committee to probe the matter. The probe had held 17 policemen responsible for Munishwar’s death.

A chargesheet was filed in the Additional District and Sessions court at Pusad in 2003. While three cops died during the course of hearing,14 others were tried for murder,fake investigation and suppression of evidence.

On Friday,Additional District and Sessions Judge Anil Subramaniam found,then PI Khandare,API Shivram Mishra and constables Nagorao Sontakke and Ganesh Ranit responsible for the death and sentenced them to life imprisonment and concurrent three years for suppressing evidence. The remaining accused were acquitted.

In another case,one Tarachand Pawar was found dead in Pusad (rural) police custody on April 23,2000. A probe had revealed that he was choked to death and a chord of his underwear was used to hang him to create a scene of suicide. The then Additional SP of Amravati,Hemraj Pawar,had probed the matter and had registered offences against then police station officer Uttam Chavan and Constable Nazir Ahmad for murder.

Based on evidence,Judge Anil Subramanian sentenced the two policemen to life imprisonment and concurrent three years for suppression of evidence.