Mumbai: A 70-year-old man died apparently due to shock after his minor grandson was taken into custody by police in connection with a stone pelting incident in Osmanabad district of Maharashtra, an official said Thursday. Dattu Ganpati More died immediately after police apprehended his grandson from their house in Telmod village in Umarga taluka late on Wednesday night, the official said.
More’s grandson was held as part of the operation launched to catch those allegedly involved in pelting stones at a police vehicle, he added. “More’s grandson and some other persons were found involved in hurling stones at a police vehicle over its alleged delay in reaching the spot of a car accident in which three people had died. The accident had taken place on Sunday,” the official said.
The stone-pelters had later escaped from the spot. The police had registered an offence against a group of at least 25 persons, including More’s minor grandson. “As part of the combing operation, a police team went to Dattu More’s house late Wednesday night and took his grandson into custody. However, apparently shocked over the apprehension of the minor, More collapsed on the ground,” the official said.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead before admission, he added. Osmanabad Superintendent of Police, R Raja, said, “Initially, relatives alleged that More died as he was thrashed by the police. However, during the investigation it came to light that he died of shock and not due to manhandling by police.”
“We did not find any injury marks on More’s body and his son also denied any brutalities by the police,” he said, adding that the exact cause of his death will be known once the post-mortem report is received. After More’s death, the villagers initially launched a sit-in agitation by placing his body outside Umarga police station. However, they withdrew the protest later, the police official said. Police have so far arrested three persons, including More’s grandson, in connection with the stone-pelting incident.