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MP: Bank officer’s autopsy shows 16 injuries, 2 pvt rehab centre directors held

Pankaj Sharma, a credit branch field officer, was admitted to Golden Sanskar De-addiction and Rehabilitation Centre on July 25

Published on: Aug 20, 2025, 13:14:33 IST
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Bhopal: Two directors of a private de-addiction and rehabilitation centre in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior were arrested on Tuesday after the postmortem report of a 31-year-old bank officer, who died on August 14 following alleged physical assault at the facility, revealed 16 serious injuries, including deep wounds to the head and lungs, police said.

Pankaj Sharma, credit branch field officer of Punjab National Bank, was admitted to Golden Sanskar De-addiction and Rehabilitation Centre on July 25. (Representative photo)
Pankaj Sharma, credit branch field officer of Punjab National Bank, was admitted to Golden Sanskar De-addiction and Rehabilitation Centre on July 25. (Representative photo)

According to police officers, two directors — Ravi Tomar and Krishna Murari Dixit — of Golden Sanskar De-addiction and Rehabilitation Centre were arrested, while three others — Vishal Kankar, Harsh Shinde, and Dharmendra Jadoun — are absconding.

“Deep injuries were found on the head and forehead. Fractures were detected in the 7th and 8th ribs. Six injuries, ranging from 4 to 5 cm, were found on the left lung, indicating that he was brutally thrashed by the accused. He died due to three head injuries and six lung injuries,” Gwalior’s superintendent of police Dharamveer Singh Yadav said, adding that the autopsy report showed a total of 16 serious injuries.

Pankaj Sharma, credit branch field officer of a private bank, was admitted to Golden Sanskar De-addiction and Rehabilitation Centre on July 25, from where he, along with five others, ran away on August 12.

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Sharma had complained of physical assault to his wife and parents, who didn’t pay attention and informed the centre directors. The centre administration brought him back on August 13. “The next day they informed the family that he was taken to Jayarogya Hospital in Bhopal after he fell ill, where he died,” superintendent of police (city) Nagendra Sikarwar said.

His family members demanded action against the centre administrator after seeing injury marks on the deceased. Police filed a complaint, but a detailed autopsy report, which was received on Tuesday, revealed 16 serious injuries that caused his death.

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“One of the patients informed the police that outsiders were called and Sharma was stripped naked and beaten mercilessly with sticks,” an officer said.

A murder case was registered on August 15. “A probe is also being conducted under what rule the centre was being run. As of now, they failed to show the registration papers of the centre. After inquiry, another case will be registered against them of fraud,” SP Yadav said.

  • Shruti Tomar
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shruti Tomar

    I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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