Bengaluru:
A 23-year-old man set himself afire on Tuesday alleging custodial torture by the Biligere in a video shared online, in Nagarle village in Nanjanagudu taluk of Mysuru district.
Police have, however, denied the allegations.
According to the police, the 23-year-old man and another person were brought to Biligere police station as part of a probe into a clash between two groups.
“Before he could be questioned he managed to escape from the police station, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at 11.30pm on Sunday and succumbed to burn injuries on Tuesday morning at KR Hospital in Mysuru,” Nanjanagudu sub-division deputy SP Govinda Raju said. Police officers said that the deceased and four others were named in the complaint filed by another group that alleged that the five people had assaulted them. They were summoned to the police station, and the 23-year-old man and another accused were brought to the police station at around 7pm.
“The 23-year-old man, under the pretext of attending to relieve himself, escaped from the police station around 8.30pm. The other person was released as the charges were not deemed serious,” Raju said.
{{/usCountry}}“The 23-year-old man, under the pretext of attending to relieve himself, escaped from the police station around 8.30pm. The other person was released as the charges were not deemed serious,” Raju said.
{{/usCountry}}In a video that has since gone viral, the victim is purportedly heard expressing his frustration and alleging harassment by the police while in custody. He accused the police of pressuring him. HT could not independently verify the veracity of the video. The police, however, denied that he was tortured at the police station.
Deputy SP Raju said that the 23-year-old man left the police station around 8:30 pm and later visited the house of his former partner, threatening the family around 11 pm. A separate complaint was filed by the family with the police around midnight, Raju said.