Parbhani violence: Accused died in custody due to ‘shock following multiple injuries’

According to the police, the prison staff took Somnath Suryawanshi to a government hospital in Parbhani early Sunday after he purportedly complained of chest pain. He was declared dead around 6.50 am

MUMBAI: Somnath Suryawanshi, a 35-year-old man who was arrested in connection with the violence in Parabhani, died in judicial custody on Sunday due to “shock following multiple injuries”, according to an interim postmortem report.

Parbhani, India. 16, 2024: A 35-year-old man named Somnath Suryawanshi died in Parbhani district jail on December 15, 2024. Suryawanshi was detained alongside 50 other Dalit youths for their alleged involvement in the violence that broke out in the city following the desecration of a replica of the Constitution on December 10, 2024. Parbhani, India. Dec 16, 2024. (Photo by HT Photo) (Hindustan Times)

The report, prepared by the forensic medicines and toxicology department of the Government Medical College and Hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar added that a final postmortem report would be issued after a forensic science laboratory completes its histopathological examination.

Suryawanshi was among over 50 people who were arrested after violence erupted in Parbhani following the vandalism of a Constitution replica on December 10. The 35-year-old was arrested on December 12 and sent to judicial custody on December 14. He was lodged in the Parbhani district prison, along with several other accused.

According to the police, the prison staff took Suryawanshi to a government hospital in Parbhani early Sunday after he purportedly complained of chest pain. He was declared dead around 6.50 am, after which his body was sent for postmortem to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Suryawanshi, who resided in Pune, had gone to his hometown, Parbhani, a few days ago for a law exam, according to his brother, Premnath. He was pursuing a three-year law course and had nothing to do with the protests or the subsequent violence, Premnath said, adding that the police picked up his brother and others from their locality on December 12. Local activists have since claimed that the arrested accused were manhandled by the police.

After initially targeting the Maharashtra government over the violence, the opposition has stepped up its attack following Suryawanshi’s death. Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) working president Supriya Sule condemned the incident and urged chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to explain what happened. “I expect Devendra Fadnavis to take this matter seriously and provide answers to Maharashtra,” she said.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut also slammed the chief minister, saying, “This is a failure of the system. Devendra Fadnavis is responsible for it.” Raut further accused the state government of being “anti-Constitution” and said he would raise the issue in the Rajya Sabha.