DIMAPUR, Sept 11 � In a case of custodial death, a convict, identified as Nazimuddin (25), who had been remanded to police custody for a separate case other than the one he had been convicted for, was found dead in the toilet of the male lock-up cell of Dimapur East Police Station on Friday morning.
According to police, the victim, who was serving a life sentence at Central Jail 4th Mile, was found hanging on the ventilation bars of the toilet. Police claimed that the victim had used a piece of his own clothing to hang himself and that death was apparently caused due to asphyxiation.
The deceased had been brought to East Police station at 5 pm on Thursday, along with four other suspects, for interrogation. There were ten other inmates in the single room lock-up cell when the alleged suicide took place.
However, police officials said none of the cell inmates witnessed the suicide taking place and the body was discovered by one of the inmates only early morning when he went to the toilet, which is openly attached to the cell.
Police further maintained that since the case amounts to judicial death, inquest was conducted by a magistrate in the presence of independent witnesses while the entire formalities, including the post mortem, has been video recorded as documentary evidence.
Preliminary investigation has ruled out any foul play as the condition of the body indicated signs of anti-mortem hanging, the police report stated. Simultaneous to the magisterial inquiry, police said they have also registered a case of unnatural death and all formalities observed as required in a custodial death including report submitted to National Human Rights Commission.
Police, moreover, claimed that no interrogation of the five accused, including the deceased, took place on Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, contradicting the police report stating the cause of death as suicide, relatives of Nazimuddin today alleged that he died due to physical torture meted out by the police.
According to the relatives, the victim bore torture marks and dried blood on the neck, mouth and legs. The victim was also tortured with electric shocks as indicated by marks in the private areas of the deceased, they further alleged. They also claimed that the other four suspects still under police custody have been severely beaten up on Thursday evening.
