Man dies in custody in Barmer, cop suspended

The victim, Jeetu Khateek, a Barmer resident, was picked from his scrap shop on Wednesday evening on suspicion of involvement in a theft case. The family said there was no complaint against him.

A police officer at Rajasthan’s Barmer Rural police station was suspended and the other staff there removed following the death of a 22-year-old man in custody after being brought there just a day ago.

Barmer superintendent of police (SP) has suspended the station house officer and sent the rest of the staff to the lines. Meanwhile, the man’s family refused to take the body, seeking action against the police. They also held a protest outside the mortuary. The victim, Jeetu Khateek, a Barmer resident, was picked from his scrap shop on Wednesday evening on suspicion of involvement in a theft case. The family said there was no complaint against him.

While the police said Khateek had reported of health problem for which he was taken to the hospital where he died, the family claimed they had met him earlier in the day and he was fine. “They have killed him,” they alleged. The autopsy had not been conducted till late so so the cause of death was yet not known. Barmer SP Sharad Choudhary said SHO Deep Singh admitted there was no complaint against Khateek.

“Following NHRC directions in custodial deaths, the SHO has been suspended and the entire police staff has been removed,” said Choudhary. “We are trying to find out why the man was kept in custody through the night,” he said, adding that an inquiry had been initiated.