Ambala’s SP Abhishek Jorwal had on Sunday said that the jail authorities have ordered a judicial probe. (Express Photo by Sahil Walia)
A day after a farmer from western UP was found hanging inside Ambala Central Jail, his family on Monday alleged that the death was a result of torture by jail staff and demanded an investigation. Ravindra Kumar, found hanging in the jail’s toilet on Sunday afternoon, was arrested on August 25 for alleged involvement in the violence in Panchkula, Haryana, after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted in two rape cases.
On Monday, the family members went to Ambala and were handed over Kumar’s body after autopsy. They brought the body to their village – Manjari Kala, in Sarsawan area of UP’s Saharanpur district.
“Ravindra’s body bore injury marks. This indicates he was beaten inside the jail…for being a member of Ram Rahim’s group,” Kumar’s cousin Bittu Chowdhary alleged. “The Haryana government should investigate the death and take action against the guilty officials.”
Bittu said he has no information on what was found in the postmortem.
Ambala’s SP Abhishek Jorwal had on Sunday said that the jail authorities have ordered a judicial probe. “We have videotaped the scene of incident, where Kumar allegedly committed suicide,” the SP said.
According to Bittu, Kumar had no links with the Dera – his mother, Kusum Devi, is Ram Rahim’s follower since the last three years. Kusum Devi, he said, was a regular visitor to the Dera.
On August 23, he said, Kusum Devi took her son son to Panchkula, “where the followers were called for a satsang”. Bittu said they stayed in Panchkula, where thousands of Dera supporters had assembled for the hearing scheduled for in CBI court there. “When violence broke out (after the court convicted Ram Rahim late August 25 afternoon), Kusum Devi and Ravindra left for Saharanpur,” Bittu said. “The police stopped them on the way. After questioning, they let his mother go and detained Ravindra. He was later arrested and produced before the court, which sent him to jail.”
Bittu also said that Kusum Devi and her husband, Yashpal, had visited their son at the Ambala jail late last week. “Ravindra did not complain about anything…he appeared normal, eagerly waiting for his release,” Bittu said. “Suddenly, on Sunday afternoon, we got a call from Ambala jail…that Ravindra had committed suicide by hanging.”
Ravindra, who was 27, had studied up to Class XII and was third of four siblings – two elder sisters and a younger sister, who is in final year of graduation.
Station Officer of Sarsawan police station, Sudhir Kumar Ujjwal, said he is camping in the village with police officials to address any law and order situation.
