Dalit man dies after custodial torture in Gujarat, accused police officer ‘absconding’
According to his brother, Harshil Jadav was also asked to pay a bribe of Rs 3 lakh by the Junagadh B-division sub-inspector.
Written by Sohini Ghosh
Ahmedabad | Updated: January 25, 2024 06:35 IST
The Junagadh B-division police in Gujarat have booked one of its sub-inspectors in attempt-to-murder case following allegations that custodial torture led to the death of a 43-year-old Dalit man in a hospital on Wednesday morning.
According to Inspector Gayatri Rajput, Mukesh Makwana, was suspended on Tuesday and “has been absconding for the past couple of days”. When asked if murder charges will be added following the death of the Dalit man, Harshil Jadav, Rajput said, “We will see. The FIR was lodged yesterday when he was alive and preliminary investigation is ongoing.”
The FIR has charged Makwana under Indian Penal Code sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 331 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to extort confession).
According to Harshil’s elder brother Brijesh Jadav, the former had gone to the Bodakdev police station in Ahmedabad on January 9 to file a complaint when he was informed that he was an accused in a Junagadh FIR registered on charges of cheating (IPC section 420) and criminal breach of trust (section 406) in relation to a tour package.
Rajput, however, said the Junagadh police had received the complaint against Harshil nearly four months before and summoned him multiple times but he had remained untraceable. The Junagadh police took Harshil into custody on the same night from the Bodakdev police station.
‘Police sub-inspector asked for Rs 3 lakh bribe’
Harshil was presented before a Junagadh magistrate court on the evening of January 10 and remanded in police custody until January 12. It is alleged that Makwana later called Harshil’s relatives to his office and demanded a bribe of Rs 5 lakh in exchange for “making it an easy case and not even hitting” him. He then allegedly brought the figure down to Rs 3 lakh.
As per Brijesh’s complaint, the family members refused to pay the bribe saying “the amount is beyond their means” and left the police station. On January 11, the FIR records, the police did not allow Harshil’s family members to meet him. They later received around three calls from Harshil from an unknown number, where he pleaded that they “pay the police what they are demanding, or else I’ll be in trouble”.
On January 12, when he was to be presented before the magistrate court again, Harshil was brought in an autorickshaw. His head was bandaged and he had difficulty in walking, according to the FIR.
As Harshil submitted before the court that he was assaulted by Makwana with sticks, the magistrate recorded a complaint to this effect. He was then taken to jail first and later to the Junagadh Civil Hospital, from where he was discharged and later released on bail on January 15.
As he returned to Ahmedabad along with his family members, Harshil complained of pain on both his legs. He was taken to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital on January 16, where he was diagnosed with ligament tears on both his legs.
On January 21, while on his way to a lawyer’s office, Harshil collapsed and he was further diagnosed to have a ligament tear on one leg and a fracture on the other. A day later he was admitted to Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, where he died on Wednesday morning.
Harshil is survived by his wife, a 14-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter.
