Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the suicide of a 45-year-old man while in police custody at the Bhagirathpura police outpost. The deceased, identified as Ramji Jha, a resident of Sheetal Nagar, had been detained a day prior to the incident on suspicion of vehicle theft, and he allegedly consumed phenyl on Sunday.
ACP Rubina Mizwani said that a panel of three doctors conducted the post-mortem under videography on Monday. The initial panchnama was prepared by Magistrate Neeraj Agrawal.
A formal magisterial investigation has been initiated, which will be presided over by Magistrate Princy Agrawal. Following the autopsy, the police handed the body over to the family, and the funeral was held on Monday evening.
The magistrate will now record the statements of the family members and the police officers who were present at the time of the incident. Moving forward, the police will have no role in the investigation to ensure transparency.
Earlier, senior officials suspended the outpost in-charge SI Sanjay Dhurve and Constable Yogendra Kaurav, the officers who had brought the suspect to the outpost.
NCR Registered Against Deceased On April 15:
Police officials revealed that three days before the incident, the deceased’s wife and mother had approached the Banganga police station. They complained that Ramji frequently assaulted them while under the influence of alcohol. Consequently, a Non-Cognizable Report (NCR) was registered at the Banganga police station on April 15. Records show that in 2024 and 2025, his wife had also submitted written complaints regarding domestic violence. Police officials believed that the family had been deeply troubled by his behaviour.
Phenyl Consumed After Complaining Of Thirst:
Ramji was detained on Saturday after being found in possession of a stolen motorcycle. According to the police, the suspect remained uncooperative regarding the vehicle's origin. On Sunday, officers took him to his residence for further investigation before returning him to the Bhagirathpura outpost. Around 6:30 PM, Ramji reportedly complained of being thirsty. Shortly after, he entered the
