Jammu: A 42-year-old man allegedly hanged himself inside a police lock-up in Rajouri district on Friday, a senior police officer said.
A magisterial probe has been initiated into the death of Abdul Majeed, a resident of Pargal village at Darhal police station in the morning, Rajouri Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mohammad Aslam said.
He said Majeed was arrested by police in connection with a case registered at the police station last year under section 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and 354 (whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any woman, intending to outrage or knowing it to be likely that he will there by outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
He was also wanted in another case under section 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) and 376 (punishment for rape) of the IPC, also registered last year.
“At around 9.15 am, Majeed hanged himself in the washroom of the lock-up of Darhal police station,” the officer said.
He said soon after the incident, a team of senior officers of police and civil administration reached the police station and inspected the site and all legal formalities were conducted under their supervision.
Thereafter, the post-mortem was conducted by a board of doctors at Government Medical College (GMC), Rajouri and later the body was handed over to the legal heirs for last rites after all the legal procedures, the officer said.
The family of the deceased, however, did not buy the police version that he had died by suicide and demanded an impartial inquiry into the incident.
“He was arrested on Sunday in connection with some case and was killed in the custody,” one of the relatives claimed amid protest by the family outside GMC hospital.
However, they dispersed peacefully after a senior police officer visited them and assured them of fair probe to know the facts.
