Five cops booked for murder, atrocity

Surat: Five policemen were booked for murder on Wednesday evening in connection with the death of two youths inside Chikhli police station last week.
The offence was registered against suspended police inspector Ajitsinh Vala, sub-inspector M B Kokni, head constable Shaktisinh Zala, constables Ravindra Rathod and Ramji; based on a complaint filed by Mitesh Jadhav, brother of one of the deceased youths Ravi Jadhav.
Ravi and Sunil Pawar (both aged 19 years) were found dead on the morning of July 21 inside the computer room of Chikhli police station. Police had claimed that the duo had hanged themselves using computer cables from the ceiling fan. The duo was picked up by the accused cops over suspicion of motorcycle theft the previous day.
According to FIR, the five cops have been booked for murder, causing hurt, kidnapping, wrongful confinement, extortion, criminal conspiracy and various sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
“We have registered the FIR exactly what they (family of the deceased) have alleged in their complaint,” said inspector P G Chaudhary of Chikhli police station.
The families had stated that cops of Chikhli police station had violated the legal guidelines that are supposed to be followed. They alleged that police did not make a note in the station diary about their arrest, nor informed families of the two suspects after they were arrested.
The duo was not produced before a judicial magistrate nor a copy of the FIR was sent to the judicial magistrate’s court, the family members claimed. “They (family of the deceased youths) have alleged that the two suspects did not commit suicide but were killed inside the police station,” Chaudhary said. The investigation in the case has been handed over to R D Faldu, deputy superintendent of police (SC/ST cell).
The registration of FIR comes after the family members of the deceased, members of the tribal community, BJP and Congress MLAs and local politicians made representations to the district collector and superintendent of police. Entire Dang district observed a complete bandh on July 26 in protest against the custodial deaths, leaving tourists helpless in Saputara and Waghai.
Initially, senior police officials had suspended four cops except Vala to pacify people. However, the move raised questions and eventually Vala too was suspended.
Later, the families of the two youths, supported by the community and elected leaders demanded that the offence be registered against the cops as Ravi and Sunil were illegally picked up and were healthy, a day before their bodies were found.