Man held for murder of deputy sarpanch dies in Chhattisgarh jail; cop suspended

Kawardha, Sep 19 (PTI) A 27-year-old man, arrested with several other persons for the murder of a deputy sarpanch, died in a jail in Chhattisgarh’s Kabirdham district, prompting authorities to launch a judicial probe into the matter, officials said on Thursday.

Kabirdham Additional Superintendent of Police Vikas Kumar (a trainee IPS officer) has been suspended following the man’s death, Chhattisgarh’s Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said.

The deceased, identified as Prashant Sahu, was shifted from district jail here to a hospital after his condition deteriorated on Wednesday where doctors declared him brought dead, a police official said.

Prashant Sahu was among the 69 persons arrested in connection with setting ablaze the house of deputy sarpanch Raghunath Sahu in Loharidih village under Rengakhar police station limits on Sunday, leading to the latter’s death.

Police had said a preliminary investigation suggested the attack on Raghunath Sahu was triggered following suspicion that he had killed another villager Kachru Sahu, who was found hanging from a tree the same day in nearby Bijatola village in Balaghat district of neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.

Police rescued three members of Raghunath’s family, including his wife, in injured condition and they were hospitalised.

Some police personnel, including Kabirdham Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava, were also injured when stones were hurled at them, following which 40 residents of Loharidih village were taken into custody.

After Prashant Sahu was arrested along with other villagers on Sunday, he was taken to a hospital when he complained of some health complications. He was suffering from the seizure disorder and was an alcoholic, a police official said.

“He was again taken to hospital on Tuesday and discharged after treatment. He collapsed the next day,” he said.

The exact cause of the death will be known after receiving the autopsy report. A judicial inquiry has been ordered into the incident, the official added.

Chhattisgarh’s Deputy CM Vijay Sharma, who also holds the Home portfolio, said that on the instruction of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Kabirdham ASP Vikas Kumar has been suspended following the death of the undertrial prisoner.

“The death in jail is a matter of investigation. On Tuesday, he was taken to hospital for an examination during which an X-Ray of his hand was done. As per doctors, the report was normal,” Sharma told reporters on Wednesday night.

“On Wednesday, injury marks were found on the body during panchnama. His viscera samples have been sent for forensic examination and its report is awaited,” the deputy CM said.

Prima facie, it came to light through jail records that injury marks were found on some of the arrested persons. Even villagers have claimed that some arrested persons were thrashed on the instruction of senior officers, he said.

“Action has been taken against senior officers. ASP Vikas Kumar has been suspended on the direction of the CM,” he said.

The CM has also announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of Prashant Sahu. His family members, who have also been arrested in the case of murder (of the deputy sarpanch), will be allowed to attend his last rites, Sharma said.

Further investigation in the matter is underway, the Deputy CM said.

Meanwhile, the main opposition Congress has constituted its team for a probe into the custodial death and the incident of murder.

Talking to reporters on Wednesday night, Congress MLA Daleshwar Sahu, convener of his party’s probe team, slammed the ruling BJP and claimed the injury marks seen on Prashant Sahu’s body clearly indicate he was brutally beaten by policemen.

Prima facie, it seems that police torture led to his death. However, the investigation is underway, the Congress leader said.