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Gujarat: 30-yr-old man arrested for drunk driving dies in police custody in Surat
Sandeep Vekariya and two others, who were pillion riding on a motorbike on Thursday , were detained by the police during a drive
A 30-year-old man died in police custody after being taken to Saroli police station in Gujarat’s Surat city along with a friend on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, officials said.
Sandeep Vekariya and two others, who were pillion riding on a motorbike on Thursday , were detained by the police during a drive.
“When the police stopped them for checking, one of them ran away. The motorcycle had a fancy number plate, and it seemed they were under the influence of alcohol. The police officials brought them to the station for further inquiry,” said S A Desai, police inspector at Saroli police station.
The police were conducting a drive in Surat as part of the statewide crackdown on reckless drivers following the July 20 incident at Iskcon Bridge in Ahmedabad, where nine persons were killed after 19-year-old Tathya Patel ploughed through a crowd in a speeding Jaguar.
Bhakti Thakar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) (Zone-1), who is investigating the demise of Vekariya, said during the process of removing his shoes at the police station, the individual began experiencing seizures.
“His mouth was filled with foam. Police called an ambulance, and he was taken to hospital. He died on Thursday night while undergoing treatment,” said Thakar.
The DCP said that Vekariya and his friend Sanjay Lathiya, 35, seemed to be under the influence of country-made liquor.
Speaking to media persons on Friday, Mahesh Kanani, the cousin of the deceased, said Vekariya had on Thursday night spoke with his father over the phone to inform him that he would be home in 10-15 minutes.
“Then around 8.30-9pm, my uncle (Sandeep’s father) called him three-four times, but he did not respond. When he called again around 9.11pm, a person named Sanjay picked up his phone and told us that Sandeep has been injured at Saroli police station and is being taken to a hospital. Around 9.30pm, when we reached the hospital, we were told that Sandeep had passed away… We think something untoward has happened to my cousin. We have given an application to Saroli police to investigate the matter. We have also asked for CCTV camera footage of the police station from 8.30pm and 9.30 pm on Thursday.”
DCP Thakar firmly dismissed any suggestion of police abuse or force in the incident. She said, “The family of the victim have witnessed the footage depicting Sandeep’s collapse at the police station due to seizures. None of the deceased’s family members has levelled accusations against the police. They specifically requested to review the CCTV footage, and we have provided it to them. Also, Sandeep’s friend Sanjay was present and has seen the incident. He has also narrated it to the family. The question of police brutality does not arise.”
