CBI probe into Ghatkopar custodial death ends

Six months after registering a case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has completed its investigation into the custodial death case of 22-year-old Altaf Sheikh at Ghatkopar police station.

Six months after registering a case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has completed its investigation into the custodial death case of 22-year-old Altaf Sheikh at Ghatkopar police station.

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On the direction of the Bombay High Court, the special crime branch of the CBI had on November 27 registered a first information report (FIR) against Police Sub Inspector Sanjay Khedekar, Head Constable Raghunath Kolekar, Police Naik Sayaji Thombre and V. V. Rane from the Ghatkopar police station and a Resident Naik Tehasildar for the Kurla-Mulund area.

The four were charged for murder, destruction of evidence and voluntarily causing hurt to extort confession.

About further course of action in the case, a CBI official, requesting anonymity, said that the agency is preparing a report on the investigation done and the same would be submitted before the high court.

He also said that the CBI will not arrest the four, as there is a Supreme Court direction to not to do so till the initial report of the agency. "We will submit the report in the high court and act as per its direction," the official said.

P. Kandaswamy, CBI's head of Zone-2, Mumbai said that the investigation has almost been finalised. However, he refused to comment on further action.

The Ghatkopar police had picked up Sheikh on early morning on September 11 last year from his Vikhroli house in connection with some house breaking theft cases. However, the same day the police took his family to Rajawadi Hospital where Sheikh was lying dead with injury marks on his head, neck and body.