Murder suspect in Chhattisgarh allegedly dies after police torture

The police said they have requested the district judge to initiate a judicial enquiry into the matter after the family of the deceased alleged torture.

Updated on: Nov 25, 2020, 13:19:46 IST

Hindustan Times, Raipur | By Ritesh Mishra

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A junior engineer of Electricity Department, who was one of the suspects in a murder case died due to police torture in Surajpur district 330 km north of Raipur, the family alleged on Wednesday.

The family of the deceased claimed that he was tortured after he was detained by the police. (Representative Photo/Getty Images)

The police refuted the allegations as baseless and said he engineer died in hospital due to a heart attack.

The junior engineer, Punam Katlam, was posted in Surajpur’s Latori sub-station of electricity department and was one of the three suspects in a murder which took place on November 22.

Police said that the engineer along with three others killed one Harish Chand Rajwada (24) on November 22 after a fight over some issue.

“On November 23, when we started investigation, we learnt that Katlam and four others including Rajwada had been drinking at the murder spot. When we started quizzing Katlam he said that he was feeling uneasy and hence he was immediately shifted to hospital in the evening. In the morning of November 24, Katlam had a heart attack when he went to toilet along with another person,” said Superintendent of Police, Surajpur, Rajesh Kukreja.

However, the family alleged that Katlam was detained by the Surajpur police and was badly beaten.

“There are injury marks on my brother’s body, which suggest torture after he was detained by the police,” said Deepak Katlam, who is a policeman himself.

Deepak demanded a high-level enquiry into the death of his brother.

Kukreja refuted the allegations said that the injury marks were because of the scuffle which took place during the murder of Harish Chand.

“They had huge fight with wooden sticks during the scuffle with Harish Chand,” SP said.

The SP further said that police have requested the district judge to initiate a judicial enquiry into the matter after the allegations of the family.

“We want transparency into the issue hence we requested a judicial enquiry,” SP added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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