Man dies in hospital after being arrested by railway police; activist, kin allege custodial torture

The family of a 29-year-old man from the Pardhi community, accused in several cases of robbery, has alleged that he died due to torture after being arrested by the Government Railway Police (GRP).

Nagesh Pawar died at the Sassoon General Hospital here on Tuesday night. The GRP claimed that he died while undergoing treatment for pneumonia. But Padma Shri recipient activist Girish Prabhune who knew him as a student and Pawar's relatives alleged on Wednesday that he died due to custodial torture.

Speaking to PTI, Sadanand Wayse-Patil, Superintendent of Police, GRP, claimed that Pawar was wanted in eight cases of robbery. "He was part of a big gang operating in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. His father-in-law was also involved. We arrested him and his father-in-law on August 17 and they were in police custody," the official said.

On August 20, he was admitted to Sassoon hospital after he complained of a cold and fever. "While in the hospital, the court extended his police custody through video conference on August 22. During the video conference, when the judge asked him, he said he was not tortured," Patil added.

CCTV footage of the lock-up does not show any objectionable incidents, the SP said. But Prabhune claimed that Pawar, who lived at his in-law's house in Karjat-Jamkhed area, had come to the city recently and sold the tricolour and balloons on August 13, 14 and 15 in Akurdi area. "On August 16, police picked up Pawar and his father-in-law from Pawar's sister's house," he said.

Police did not inform the family about his hospitalisation until his death, Prabhune alleged. Pawar was one of the first students of a school run by him for the children from nomadic tribes at Yamgarwadi in Osmanabad district, Prabhune said.

He had studied up to class 12, was a good orator and used to perform 'kirtan', the activist added. "It is 100 per cent certain that he died of police torture and we seek judicial inquiry into his death," he said. An accidental death case has been registered with Bundgarden police station, officials said.