Suryavanshi, 35, died at a state-run hospital in Parbhani on December 15 while in judicial custody, days after he was arrested in connection with violence in the city over the desecration of a glass-encased replica of the Constitution
Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal
After a magisterial probe blamed police assault for the death of Dalit protester Somnath Suryavanshi, Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal has demanded slapping of murder charges on officials and questioned whom Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was protecting, reported news agency PTI.
ADVERTISEMENT
He accused Fadnavis, who heads the Home Ministry, of misleading people through his statement during the winter session of the state legislature last year by attributing Suryavanshi's death to asthma.
The Congress leader also demanded the dismissal of Parbhani Police personnel responsible for Suryavanshi's death.
Suryavanshi, 35, died at a state-run hospital in Parbhani on December 15 while in judicial custody, days after he was arrested in connection with violence in the city over the desecration of a glass-encased replica of the Constitution. Police had said Suryavanshi died after taking ill in judicial custody, reported PTI.
Sapkal raised the demand for invocation of charges of murder after the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) said the "perusal of the report of the magisterial inquiry shows the judicial magistrate has concluded that Suryavanshi was assaulted at Nava Mondha, Police Station in Parbhani", reported PTI.
'Somnath Suryavanshi, an educated youth with Ambedkarite ideology from Parbhani, died due to police brutality, but the case was recorded as a natural death to suppress the matter.
"The postmortem report confirmed that he died due to police assault while in custody, however, the government didn't take it seriously. Now, even the magisterial inquiry has revealed that Suryavanshi's death was caused by police brutality," the Congress leader said in a statement, reported PTI.
Will the Fadnavis government finally wake up? he asked.
Sapkal said the Parbhani case is extremely serious and a blot on humanity.
He alleged the police had failed to properly handle the desecration of the Constitution's replica in Parbhani and instead brutally baton-charged peaceful protesters, severely assaulting many people and imprisoning several others.
"Suryavanshi was arrested, brutally beaten and he eventually died due to the assault. However, the government tried to suppress the case," Sapkal alleged, reported PTI.
The Congress leader demanded an investigation to find out who gave orders for combing operations and baton charge in Parbhani. "Was it the ministry or the office of the Director General of Police?" he asked, reported PTI.
Alleging that Fadnavis has failed to handle the Parbhani case, Sapkal said a Dalit youth was killed due to police brutality. The government, however, is not taking it seriously, which shows the BJP-led government's anti-Dalit mindset.
Suryavanshi's death caused a political storm prompting Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to visit his family members in Parbhani last year.
Gandhi claimed Suryavanshi was killed because he was a Dalit who was protecting the Constitution, in the wake of the desecration of its replica.
Sapkal said the Congress will continue to pursue this case until Suryavanshi's family gets justice.
The MSHRC is hearing complaints concerning Suryavanshi's death.
During the hearing on March 20, the MSHRC said it had received a box containing the report of the magisterial inquiry into the custodial death of Suryavanshi. The report has three volumes, running into 451 pages, reported PTI.
¿Perusal of the report of the magisterial inquiry shows that the judicial magistrate has concluded that Suryavanshi was assaulted at Nava Mondha, Police Station in Parbhani,¿ the Commission noted.
According to the magistrate, Parbhani police officials named in his report are responsible for the custodial death of Suryavanshi, it added.
The Commission then issued notices to the chief secretary, additional chief secretary, home department, additional director general of police CID (crimes), and the deputy superintendent of police (CID) Parbhani, seeking their replies.
Sapkal faced flak for comparing Fadnavis to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Amid calls for action against him, he claimed he was not comparing the individuals but their governance.
(With inputs from PTI)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
