Another dubious’ custody death in city

MUMBAI, JULY 31: A second incident of death in police custody in about two weeks has rocked the police department and has given rise to a...

MUMBAI, JULY 31: A second incident of death in police custody in about two weeks has rocked the police department and has given rise to allegations of gross violation of human rights.

Thirty-year-old Abid Ali Hassan Ali Zaveri was picked up Dongri police last night at around 8.35 pm from Char Nal in Dongri, and was reported to have been interrogated by the police personnel. Surprisingly, he was never taken to the police station and was not even shown as arrested and was instead taken around by the police team in a cab so that some other associates could be traced. Also, the police did not bother to inform about his arrest to his family or friends, which is contrary to the rules laid down by the police itself.

Sources said that during this journey, Abid Ali was beaten up the police since he was resisting attempts by the police to reveal the hideouts of his associates. The party went to several places around the Ferry Wharf and other parts of Dongri, but the associate could not be tracked down, sourcessaid. At around 1.55 am, the suspect suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed in the cab itself, after which he was taken to JJ Hospital and was declared dead before admission.

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According to Sanjay Barve, deputy police commissioner (zone 1), Abid Ali, was a notorious criminal of the Chhota Rajan gang and had 26 cases against him, which included one murder and several attempt to murder cases. After picking him up, the police believed that that he could give information about another member of the same gang, and was therefore being taken around the area. It was during this period that his condition suddenly deteriorated and he died before admission to the hospital, he added.

However, the DCP denied that Abid Ali had been beaten up by the police party at any point, and claimed that this would be proved by the post-mortem examination. He confirmed that the suspect had not been shown as arrested in police records, but admitted that he was in possession of the police when he died.

Though the cause of death isnot yet known, sources said there are abrasion and contusion marks on various parts of the body, which suggest that he had been beaten up by the accompanying policemen. The matter will now be investigated by the city crime branch and a report will be sent to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), said a senior crime branch official.This is the second death in police custody this month. The earlier one being in the D N Nagar police lock-up on July 13 where one Farookh Patni had been found dead with his shirt sleeve around his neck. However, the police had claimed that he had strangulated himself. But the autopsy examination later disproved the police theory, since no ligature mark had been found around the neck. Even in that case, the final cause of death is still pending since the histopathology and the chemical analysis report is not yet available to the Crime Branch.

According to Abu Asim Azmi, city president of Samajwadi Party, this second case in about a fortnight shows that the police hascommitted gross violation of human rights. Their party will definitely take up the matter and will see to it that justice is done to the family of the deceased, he added.