Man caught on camera for stealing alleges custodial torture

A 23-year-old man, who was handed over to the police after being allegedly caught on camera stealing valuables from a bank manager’s office in central Delhi, claimed before a judge that he was subjected to custodial torture.

A 23-year-old man, who was handed over to the police after being allegedly caught on camera stealing valuables from a bank manager’s office in central Delhi, claimed before a judge that he was subjected to custodial torture.

Ganesh Das, who claims to have been staying in Delhi for a year and a half and looking for employment, was handed over to personnel at the Barakhamba police station on Monday evening by the manager of PNB’s ECE House branch Sumit Parekh and his colleagues.

Later, Das told reporters that he was subjected to bestiality during overnight incarceration - a claim the police refuted.

“Parekh claimed Das had stolen his mobile phone and wallet on April 22 and that there was CCTV footage to prove the same. Around 4pm on Monday, he was seen entering the bank branch again, caught, assaulted and handed over to the police,” said a police officer.

A case of theft was registered at Barakhamba Road police station and Das was lodged in the lock up overnight. The next morning, when he was produced before a magistrate at the Patiala House district courts, he claimed he had been brutally assaulted by police personnel overnight.

“The honourable judge then transferred the case to the Tilak Marg police station and directed the Station House Officer (SHO) to get him medically examined,” the officer said.

However, his medical examination could not be conducted on Tuesday since the hospital’s superintendent was not available. It is scheduled to be conducted on Wednesday.