Madhya Pradesh: MPHRC notice to Khandwa SP over custodial death

Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh Human Rights Commission (MPHRC) has issued a notice to the superintendent of police (SP) of Khandwa district over the death of a theft suspect in police custody and has directed him to submit a report in the matter within two months, an official said on Thursday.

Family members of the 65-year-old man, who was accused of vehicle theft, have claimed that policemen did not allow him to take his blood pressure medicine, following which he died in custody on Wednesday.

Following the incident, the Khandwa SP removed Kotwali police station in-charge and a judicial probe was initiated in the matter, an MPHRC official said.

According to the family, Bhagwan Singh, a resident of Barwah town, was apprehended by the police on June 17, and after interrogation, he was produced in a local court on June 21 and was taken on remand, he said.

Singh's health deteriorated on Wednesday morning and he vomited and later collapsed. It was suspected that he died because of cardiac arrest, the official said.

Khandwa SP Vivek Singh has said that the accused was arrested in connection with the theft of a motorcycle and he fell ill on Wednesday, after which an inspector took him to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead.