Widow of custodial death victim tries to kill self and her three children

Shamsher Khan's wife Akila with her children and relatives outside Shivaji Park station. Pic/Suresh Karkera

After attempting to get justice for her husband's death for 13 months, a widow and her two children tried to commit suicide at Shivaji Park on Republic Day. Akila Begum, 32, is the widow of Shamsher Khan, 38, who was allegedly beaten to death by Parbhani cops in December 2016. She tried to immolate herself and her kids, to demand the arrest of the alleged accused, and monetary compensation.

Shamsher Khan, a resident of Madina Nagar, Parbhani, was working as a car sales agent. He was picked up by Nanal Peth Police station on December 25, 2016. Yasin Khan, Shamsher's brother, said, "The cops beat him with rods. My father was shocked to see him in that state when he had gone to visit him. Within hours of that visit, we were told by the cops that Shamsher was dead." Khan added, "My brother was allegedly involved in a car paper duplication scam in Ahmednagar. Cops from the Shreerampur had come to question him, and he gave them satisfactory answers. But the Nanal Peth cops beat him up and tried to extort money."

Shamsher Khan

After Shamsher's death, his wife Akila along with sons Mansoor Khan, Jabbar Khan, and Abdul Rehman met various authorities in police departments to seek justice. An inquiry was set up by superintendent of Police (Parbhani), that found police inspector Sheikh Abdul Rauf and two constables, Sheikh Mushtaq and Tulsidas Deshmukh, guilty of Khan's death in custody. Rauf has been arrested, while the other two constables are absconding.

Akila carried out a protest outside the superintendent's office in Parbhani seeking the arrest of the constables and monetary compensation. "My brother was the only earning member in his family. After his death, his wife and three kids went to Nagpur and protested outside the Assembly, where they were assured of justice. But nothing happened. After that, I joined them and we protested at Azad Maidan," said Khan.

They told cops at Azad Maidan that they wanted to meet the Governor of Maharashtra. "Nobody heard our cries, so we decided to end our lives," said Akila, talking to mid-day. She reached Shivaji Park with her kids, and a can of kerosene on the morning of January 26. According to the police, the probe is on. "We have booked three officers under Section 302 (murder), 348 (wrongful confinement) and 34 (common intention). We have arrested one of them, and if we come across the other accused, we will also arrest them," said Sudhakar Suradkar, deputy superintendent.

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