MP: 1 more cop suspended after tribal man's custodial death; action against 6 officials so far
The Madhya Pradesh government has suspended one more senior police official for alleged negligence in connection with the death of a 35-year-old tribal man in judicial custody in Khargone district. After the death of the man, identified as Bisan, last week following his arrest by Bistan police in Khargone in connection with a dacoity incident, the state government had suspended four policemen and the district jail superintendent. Later on Sunday, Khargone's Superintendent of Police Shailendra Singh Chouhan was also transferred.
The man's family members and some outfits had alleged that he died due to brutality in police custody. An official statement issued late Monday night said, “The state government has suspended sub-divisional officer of police of Bhikangaon (Khargone district) Praveen Kumar Uike with immediate effect."
The statement further said Uike was suspended for poor supervision and negligence in the case related to the death of the arrested man on the intervening night of September 6 and 7.
After the man died in the Khargone sub-jail, a group of over 100 enraged villagers attacked the Bistan police station on September 7 morning, injuring three policemen.
Three days before he died, the man was arrested along with 11 others in a dacoity incident in Khairkundi village, located over 300 km from the state capital Bhopal, officials earlier said.
After the man's death, the state government had suspended the district jail superintendent, a police sub-inspector, a head constable and two constables, saying that a fair judicial probe will be conducted into the matter.
On Sunday, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in a statement said they had also decided to remove Khargone's SP due to lack of supervision in the case.
Chouhan had also said that a judicial probe was going on into the matter and further action will be taken on the basis of its outcome.
“We take all such incidents very seriously,” the CM had said.
The opposition Congress had demanded a CBI probe into the man's death in judicial custody and also sought a compensation of Rs 1 crore for his family.
