Police tortured jail inmate to death, claims family

Ludhiana: Family members of Sunny Kumar, an accused in a drug peddling case who died at PGI Chandigarh three days back, protested while keeping his body on Chaunta Mehrban road on Monday.
Alleging that Sunny was implicated in a false case and then tortured by cops, which led to his death, family members claimed that they would not cremate the body till the time the perpetrators were identified and brought to book.
On July 5, Sunny (25), a resident of Chaunta village, died in PGI Chandigarh after being shifted from Rajindra Hospital Patiala. He had reportedly developed health problem at the Central Jail. He was arrested by Koom Kalan police allegedly with 25g smack on June 25 and was sent to judicial custody by a local court.
Sunny’s mother Harbans Kaur and father Mohinderpal Singh alleged that the youth died due to the torture by Koom Kalan police. They also claimed that Sunny was picked up from home, but nothing was recovered from him.
The family members said the police implicated their son in false case on the insistence of some villagers. They claimed that though their son was hooked to drugs, the entire village knew that he was not into drug peddling.
Other relatives who joined them in the protest reiterated that they would not cremate the body till the time cops responsible for Sunny’s death were not punished. As the protesters blocked the road, ADCP Ajinder Singh, ACP Harjinder Singh and SHO Koom Kalan police station reached the spot and tried to pacify the protesters.
Police said the brother of the deceased has given a written complaint into the matter.
Koom Kalan police meanwhile refuted the allegations of torture. Devinderpal Singh, SHO, Koom Kalan police station, said ASI Randhir Singh had arrested Sunny and another accused with drugs. He was medically examined and was sent to jail following the orders of the court.
He reiterated that the jail authorities do not take custody of accused if they are found with medical injuries and would always insist for a thorough medical examination. Thus, there was no question of any torture, he added.