Parbhani custodial death: Mother approaches HC, seeks court-monitored probe

The writ petition seeks the registration of an FIR against police responsible for Somnath Suryawanshi’s death, grievous injuries to other victims and outraging the modesty of women in police custody

MUMBAI: Vijayabai Suryawanshi, mother of law student Somnath Suryawanshi who died on December 15, 2024 in a state-run hospital in Parbhani while under judicial custody, has moved the Bombay high court, alleging police brutality caused her son’s death and seeking an independent, court-monitored probe into the incident.

Somnath Suryawanshi (Hindustan Times)

The writ petition – filed through advocates Prakash Ambedkar, Sandesh More and Hitendra Gandhi – seeks the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against police officers and their associates responsible for Somnath Suryawanshi’s death, grievous injuries to other victims and outraging the modesty of women in police custody.

According to the petition, far right group Hindu Sakal Samaj Morcha held a meeting near the Shivaji statue in Parbhani on December 10, 2024, to protest against alleged atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh. A replica of the Constitution kept near a statue of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar outside the railway station was vandalised during this occasion, leading to days of unrest and a spate of reactionary protests and strikes.

In response, the police imposed prohibitory orders, carried out a combing operation and arrested over 50 young men and women, including Somnath Suryavanshi, who was visiting Parbhani to appear for his final-year law examination. The accused were severely assaulted, abused and threatened in police custody and slapped with stringent charges, prompting at least 23 separate complaints by victims from marginalised social groups, the petition said.

The assault on the Somnath Suryavanshi was so brutal that he died within hours of being admitted to the state-run hospital in Parbhani after being sent to judicial custody, the petition noted. Subsequently, a police officer named Ashok Ghorband offered the petitioner ₹50 lakh for not filing a police complaint, she mentioned in her plea. Even the postmortem report indicated the primary reason of death as “shock due to multiple injuries”.

“Given the events and the behaviour of certain police officers and staff, their deep-rooted caste-based hatred was openly visible,” the petition said, urging the court to suspend the concerned police officers, order an independent court-monitored probe into her son’s custodial death, and disclose the magisterial inquiry report on the incident.

The matter is scheduled for hearing on April 8.