A 24-year-old man was found dead inside a police lock-up in Bihar’s Supaul district on Wednesday in a case that has sparked allegations of custodial violence and triggered protests by locals. Meanwhile, police claimed that he died by suicide using a rope made from a strip of cloth.
The deceased, identified as Bittu Kumar, son of Nandan Yadav and a resident of Koriapatti village, was discovered hanging inside the lock-up at the Jadia police station.
According to officials, Kumar was brought to the police station late Tuesday night after his family called emergency services (112), alleging that he had created a disturbance at home while under the influence of alcohol. Bihar has been a dry state since April 2016. Police said Kumar was placed in the lock-up after he continued to create a ruckus. On Wednesday morning, he was taken to the washroom and later returned to the lock-up, where he allegedly hanged himself around 7:30 am.
However, the victim’s family has strongly refuted the police version of events. Relatives alleged that Kumar was assaulted in custody and killed, accusing the police of attempting to pass off the death as suicide.
“He was beaten to death in the police station. There were bruises on his body and marks on his neck suggesting strangulation,” said his cousin Ramesh Kumar.
Following the incident, Kumar’s relatives, along with villagers, staged a protest by blocking State Highway-91 in front of the police station, demanding justice and action against the officials involved.
Kosi Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Kumar Ashish confirmed that the station house officer (SHO) and the officer on duty were present at the time of the incident. He stated that Kumar had a history of alcohol consumption and domestic disputes.
“The deceased had been quarrelling with his wife and was handed over to the police by his father around midnight. He later tore a strip from a blanket and hanged himself from the lock-up grill,” Ashish said.
While maintaining that the death appeared to be a case of suicide, the DIG acknowledged lapses in supervision. “There is negligence on the part of the police personnel, as they failed to keep proper watch on him,” he added.
Senior police officials reached the station soon after the incident. Kumar’s body has been sent for postmortem examination, which will be conducted under the supervision of a medical board. Authorities have ordered a judicial inquiry into the custodial death, and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) will be informed of the incident.
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