5 Wadala TT cops suspended after youth dies in custody

Police lathicharge people protesting outside Wadala TT police station demanding action against the five cops on Tuesday. Pics/Ashish Raje

Five cops of the Wadala Truck Terminal (TT) police station were suspended on Tuesday after a 26-year-old man died allegedly in their custody. Vijay Singh, a resident of Sion, died on the intervening night of October 27 and 28. His friends and family members alleged that the cops illegally jailed Vijay and beat him to death.

'Illegal detention'
Vijay Singh, a medical representative with a Dadar-based pharmaceutical company, had gone for a ride with his cousin Nirmal Singh and friend Ankit Mishra at 11 pm on Sunday when they got into a fight with a couple near Wadala TT RTO.

The deceased, Vijay Singh

"The man picked up a fight with Vijay when the bike's headlamp flashed at them," Mishra told mid-day. The cops soon arrived and hauled everyone to the police station around 11.45 pm. Vijay's cousin Satyendra Singh, who along with other family members reached the police station, said, "I was told the cops kept thrashing Vijay, Nirmal and Mishra while taking them to the police station because the girl falsely accused them of making sexual advances towards her."

'Cops kick 11-year-old'
Satyendra alleged the cops also kicked Vijay's 11-year-old cousin Harsh when he tried to give him water to drink. Around 2.30 am, when everyone noticed that Vijay was not moving, his father urged the cops to rush him to hospital. "But the cops said there was no fuel in the vehicle and told him to hire a cab instead," Satyendra said. By the time they reached the hospital, Vijay had died, he added.

His mother Kanchan Singh

The post mortem was conducted at J J Hospital on Monday but the kin demanded a second autopsy, which will be conducted at KEM hospital. Zonal deputy commissioner Dr Saurabh Tripathi said assistant inspector Saleem Khan, sub inspector Sandeep Kadam, hawaldar Gangaram Sahdev Bhavhal, police naik Ramnik Krishna Chaure, and constable Dhondiba Pandhri Chole were suspended. "The case has been transferred to the crime branch," he added.

Harsh, the cousin who was 'kicked' by cops when he tried to give water to Vijay

'Protest outside police station'
Action was taken after Vijay's kin on Tuesday staged a protest outside the police station, demanding action against the officers. The police lathicharged the protesters, injuring a few of them. However, city police spokesperson Pranay Ashok said, "We used mild force to disperse the protesters who tried to enter the police station." The deceased's family has demanded action against the couple, too. The cops are considering filing an assault case against the duo, sources told mid-day.

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