Tribal youth dies in police custody in Indore, five cops suspended

Bhopal, Sep 3 (IANS) Five police personnel, including a sub-inspector (SI), were suspended after a 19-year-old tribal youth, who was arrested as a suspect in a robbery case, died in police custody in Indore on Saturday, the police said.

The deceased has been identified as Arjun Singare, a resident of Gittiphoda in Indore's Manpur area.

Singare was arrested late on Friday night in connection with a case of dacoity and illegal arms possession from Manpur.

The police claimed that besides dacoity, Singare was also an accused in two other cases.

"He was detained from his home in Manpur for interrogation. However, his health deteriorated after which he was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died during treatment," the police said.

However, the kin of the deceased refuted police's claims and accused them of assaulting the youth at the police sation, leading to his death.

Enraged by Singare's death, his family members along with scores of tribals staged a protest and blocked the Agra-Mumbai highway in front of the police station, demanding compensation and government job for a family member.

Later, SP (Rural) Bhagwat Singh Virde ordered suspention of five cops who were handling the case and also recommended judicial probe into the matter.

"The body has been sent for post-mortem and the district sessions court has been requested for a judicial probe into the matter," read an order issued by Virde.

The order said that SI Kamal Uike, ASIs Devesh Verma and Nirbhay Singh and constables Gajraj and Sonbir have been suspended and attached to the Mhow police lines pending the probe.