Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Inspector at Shahpura police station, Lokendra Singh Thakur on Wednesday was suspended for allegedly keeping a 19-year-old youth in illegal custody for five days. The action came after irregularities were found in a preliminary inquiry ordered by Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar.
According to reports, the youth had been detained in connection with a theft case in which police had already filed a closure report. Despite this he was kept confined inside a room at the police station that did not have CCTV surveillance. Moreover, neither was his arrest formally recorded nor was his family informed, which is a violation of due legal procedure.
The incident took a serious turn on January 19, when the youth escaped from the police station premises through the rooftop. However, his detention entry was made in the station diary nearly seven hours after he had fled. A case of escape from custody was registered against him.
Initially, the probe was assigned to the ACP of Habibganj. The investigation revealed discrepancies in official records.
The role of the police station munshi and members of the police squad posted during the incident is also under scrutiny.
Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar said that strict action will be taken against all those found guilty. A departmental inquiry in the matter is currently underway.
