20-year-old man dies in police custody in MP, 4 cops suspended

The deceased’s brother said Kishan was suffering from some breathing ailment. The actual cause of death was likely to be established in the post-mortem report

Four Madhya Pradesh Police personnel including a police station in-charge have been suspended following the custodial death of a suspected thief in Khandwa district on Monday night . This was the second case of custodial death in the state in the last seven days.

Madhya Pradesh government has suspended four police personnel and ordered a magisterial inquiry into the custodial death. (Getty Images/iStockphoto/Representative use)

20-year-old Kishan Mankar, a resident of Daliya Khedi village of Khargone district, was arrested with two others at Omkareshwar on Monday evening in a case of bike theft.

“After interrogation, he ate food and later complained of uneasiness. He was rushed to a hospital where he died,” said Vivek Singh, superintendent of police (SP), Khandwa.

The deceased’s brother said Kishan was suffering from some breathing ailment. The actual cause of death was likely to be established in the post-mortem report.

Meanwhile, home minister Narottam Mishra said, “We have suspended four police personnel and ordered a magisterial inquiry in the matter.” Omkareshwar police station in-charge Ganpat Lal Kanel, sub inspector Mayaram and two constables were suspended on Tuesday morning.

This is the second instance of a custodial death in MP within a week. Earlier, a man from a tribal community died in a jail in Khargone district last Tuesday. After the family accused the police of torturing him, five police personnel and a jail superintendent were suspended while Khargone superintendent of police was removed for suspected lack of supervision.

(With inputs from Sunil Kehalkar from Khandwa)