Jharkhand opposition raises custodial death, cop suicide in assembly

The opposition parties in Jharkhand on Friday raised in the state assembly the issue of custodial death and suicide of a police official.

"Even as we pay tribute to those who died between the Budget and monsoon sessions, we must also remember those like Rupesh Swansy who died in the police custody and Inspector Umesh Kacchap who committed suicide at a police station," Jharkhand Mukti Morcha President Hemant Soren said on the fist day of the monsoon session.

Rupesh, a tribal boy, was picked from a shop in Bundu, about 50 km from capital city Ranchi, on suspicion of being a Maoist supporter. He was allegedly thrashed by the police officials so badly that he died at a hospital. The state government later suspended two police officials and transferred a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

Inspector Kacchap committed suicide inside Tochachi police station of Dhanbad district. He was allegedly pressurised by senior police officials in connection with a fake encounter case. The government suspended a Deputy Superintendent of Police and transferred Shanbad Superintendent of Police Surendra Jha.

Speaking in the assembly, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) legislator Pradeep Yadav said: "We should mourn bad governance leading to such deaths. We should vow that the perpetrators are punished."

The members paid tribute to former hockey player Mohammad Shaid who died on Wednesday, former Jan Sangh President Balraj Madhok who died on May 2, and mentioned the death of over 100 persons in a Kerala temple, and killing of security personnel in Bihar.

--IANS

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