Held for ‘visa fraud’: Nigerian man ‘jumps’ from police car, dies

Bonaventure was rushed back to Cooper Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival, the police said. (Representational Image)

A Nigerian national, caught by the Bureau of Immigration for alleged visa fraud, died after ‘jumping’ from a police car on the Sahar Elevated Road, Wednesday morning, the police said. The man was in the custody of immigration authorities at the time. Igbele Emeka Bonaventure (34) was detained by immigration at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on Wednesday for allegedly carrying forged travel documents. He was taken to Cooper Hospital for a medical examination and was being taken back to the airport for further questioning when he jumped from the car, police said.

“At 6.30 am the police car was on the elevated bridge connecting the international airport. He opened the door and tried to jump on the other bridge and fell into the gap between the two bridges,” said Anil Kumbhare, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone VIII.

Bonaventure was rushed back to Cooper Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival, the police said. A case of accidental death has been registered at Sahar police station. Kumbhare added that Bonaventure had flown to Mumbai on a Kenyan Airlines flight. The circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated. Officials at the Nigerian High Commission in New Delhi were not available for a comment on Wednesday. “… Since it is a case of death while the person was in police custody, he was shifted to JJ Hospital for an autopsy,” a forensic doctor said.

The Nigerian national underwent a post-mortem on Wednesday evening. “He died due to a head injury,” a forensic expert from J.J. Hospital said. Bonaventure, the police said, had procured a visa from a neghbouring country after not unable to procure one from his native country to visit India. His wife and two children are currently in Delhi, the police said. He ran a cargo export business from South Mumbai, the police said.