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�Suicide� by handcuffed youth near Panikhaiti OP raises eyebrows

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Aug 8 - Major public uproar was witnessed in front of Panikhaiti outpost since early morning today after Chandan Bharali (23), who was in police custody since August 7, committed suicide a few metres away from the outpost premises using the rope of the handcuff, under extremely mysterious circumstances.

Bharali, a resident of Chaygaon, hanged himself from a tree located around 150 metres from the police outpost. His body was spotted around 1.40 am.

Questions are being raised as to how Bharali, who was arrested on charges of sending obscene messages and harassing a girl on August 7, managed to escape from the custody of the police and that too with the handcuff on, despite the presence of police personnel.

Family members of the deceased alleged that those responsible for the dereliction of duty must be punished as it is a case of custodial death.

Locals also alleged that the on-duty police personnel was in inebriated condition when the incident took place.

�I have never heard anything of this sort. How can a handcuffed person escape from the police outpost? There is more than what meets the eye,� a local resident alleged.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Ranjan Bhuyan said an internal enquiry has been ordered and action would be taken against the guilty.

�As there is no lock-up facility in the outpost, the general practice is to send the accused to the Pragjyotishpur Police Station overnight. Yesterday, the inspector-in-charge was out investigating another case of hanging in the locality, when Bharali managed to escape,� Bhuyan said.

�We are looking at all angles,� he said.

Later, members of the deceased�s family also alleged that the body was sent for autopsy without their consent.

Meanwhile, District Magistrate of Kamrup Metropolitan District has ordered an inquiry into the death. Accordingly, Pallab Jyoti Nath, Circle Officer, Chandrapur Revenue Circle and Executive Magistrate, Kamrup (M) District has been entrusted to find out the circumstances leading to the death and submit his findings within 15 days for onward submission to NHRC and AHRC.

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