The father of a custodial death victim Agnelo Valdaris filed a protest petition before a special court on Wednesday and sought that the CBI’s three chargesheets filed in the case be rejected and a charge of murder be added against policepersons accused in the case.
Two other victims have also filed similar protest petitions through advocate Chandni Chawla.
In April 2014, Agnelo, then 25, along with three others, one of whom was a minor, was taken in custody by the Wadala Government Railway Police (GRP) for theft. The four were allegedly tortured and sexually abused. Agnelo never returned home. The police claim that he died after being hit by a train, while his family has been claiming that it is a case of custodial death.
All the accused are out on bail, some suspended and other transferred. The CBI has maintained that it was a case of accidental death. Its chargesheets against the cops were filed on charges of sexual assault. Witnesses have alleged that they were stripped and made to perform oral sex on each other by the police.
In December 2019, the Bombay High Court had directed the trial court to frame charges against them for murder and destrcution of evidence and said that looking into the nature of injuries on Valdaris, it is prima facie a case of custodial death.
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