A case of forceful confession and wrongful confinement has also been registered against the eight police officials based on a complaint filed by the family of one of the accused in the theft case. (Representational Image)Eight policemen, including an inspector and a sub-inspector, were suspended by Surat Police Commissioner Satish Sharma on Saturday after it was found that they had severely beaten up three suspects of a theft case in illegal detention, leading to brain haemorrhage of one of them.
A case of forceful confession and wrongful confinement has also been registered against the eight police officials based on a complaint filed by the family of one of the accused in the theft case.
According to police, constables of Khatodara police station had detained Ramgopal Bisamber Pandey, his younger brother Omprakash, and one Jay Prakash Pandey, all residents of Vinayak Nagar, on May 29 in connection with a theft case registered in February.
Khatodara police station Inspector M B Khileri, Sub-Inspector (S-I) C P Chaudhary and six constables of surveillance department had allegedly kept the trio in illegal detention and beat them up during interrogation. However, after one the detainees, Omprakash, suffered a brain haemorrhage, he was shifted to a hospital on Friday night. His condition is said to be critical by the doctors.
After senior police officers came to know about the incident, Police Commissioner Satish Sharma instructed Assistant Commissioner of Police (E Division) N S Desai to inquire into the matter. Based on Desai’s inputs, the two police officers and the six constables were suspended.
An FIR was also lodged against the eight under Indian Penal Code sections 330 (forceful confession), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) 324 (causing hurt by using dangerous weapons) 348 (wrongful confinement to extort confession), 34 (act done by several persons in furtherence of common intention).
Meanwhile, fearing arrest, all the eight policemen fled and are currently absconding. “We have searched the homes of the eight policemen against whom the FIR has been registered. We are looking for them and conducting searches at other places,” said Desai, who is investigating the case.
