Delhi: Thrashed by mob, rape suspect dies in cops' custody

Deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka) Shankar Chaudhary said that a control room call was received on Friday reporting an alleged rape. When the police reached the spot, the mother of a five-year-old girl said that her daugher was sexually assaulted by her stepfather.

A 40-year-old man who was beaten up by people for allegedly sexually assaulting his minor stepdaughter on Friday evening in Dabri of southwest Delhi, and was arrested after he was discharged from the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital the same day, died on the way to hospital after he first complained of uneasiness and then fell unconscious on Saturday, the police said on Sunday.

By the time police reached the spot, the accused had been taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in Hari Nagar for treatment. (HT File)

A magisterial inquiry has been initiated in the matter since the man was under custody, the police added.

Deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka) Shankar Chaudhary said that a control room call was received on Friday reporting an alleged rape. When the police reached the spot, the mother of a five-year-old girl said that her daugher was sexually assaulted by her stepfather. The woman also said that the accused is her second husband.

The woman also told police that she works as a house help, and when she returned home in on Friday evening, she found her husband sexually assaulting her daughter and raised an alarm. The local residents gathered hearing the woman’s cries and thrashed the man.

By the time police reached the spot, the accused had been taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital in Hari Nagar for treatment. “The accused was medically examined and his medico legal certificate was prepared. The doctor stated that the patient was brought to emergency for medical examination.He had abrasion over zygomatic [cheek bone] and frontal scalp and pattern bruises over upper back. A blunt object was used to beat him,”Chaudhary said, quoting details from them medical report, and added that the hospital discharged the accused after treatment.

Based on the mother’s complaint, a case under section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act was registered and the accused was arrested in the case by the investigating officer, the DCP said.

He was then brought to Dabri police station and was lodged in the lock up of the station. However, around 6am on Saturday, the accused started feeling unwell and lost consciousness after which the station house officer along with the staff took the accused back to DDU Hospital where doctor declared him brought dead, senior police officers said.

DCP Chaudhary said since the accused died of injuries due to beating by the public, a case under section 304 (Causing death by negligence) of the IPC has been registered, and inquest proceedings under section 176 have also been initiated. “There also appears to be medical negligence as the accused was discharged despite injuries. We have written to the hospital authorities,” Chaudhary said.

The hospital authorities did not comment on allegations of negligence.

The DCP said that a postmortem examination will be carried out by a medical board for neutrality and fair enquiry. He added that investigation in both the rape allegations and the death of the accused are on.