Custodial death: Kin alleges flip-flop on FIR by Guj cops

Family members of Swetang Patel, whose alleged custodial death during the Patel quota agitation is now to be probed by CID following a high court order, said they are mulling contempt of court proceedings against police as the FIR registered in the matter fails to mention the names of any police personnel.
"FIR has been registered as per the order of the High Court. There are no names of policemen in the FIR because we registered it (FIR) on the basis of the application given by them (the kin of victim), which had no names," Sweta Shrimali, DCP (zone V), told PTI tonight.

However, the family members of the 32-year-old victim claimed that police did not name any personnel because they have treated their application to get Swetang's post-mortem report as the FIR.
Interestingly, earlier in the day, Assistant Commissioner of Police KD Pandya had said they have named nine police personnel in the FIR pertaining to the custodial death case.
"We had late last night registered an FIR in Swetang Patel's death case against two police inspectors of Bapunagar, one D-staff PSI and six other policemen of D-staff for causing death," Pandya said.
Swetang's family members said that police did not name any of their personnel in the FIR.

"Police did not name their personnel who were behind the death of Swetang because they have treated our application to get Swetang's post-mortem report as FIR in the custodial death case," Swetang's maternal uncle Bipin Patel told reporters.

When asked whether they will approach high court, Patel said he will consult his advocate and probably move a contempt plea.
Advocate BM Mangukia, who is representing Swetang's mother Prabhaben, on whose plea the CID probe was ordered, said police treated their application to get Swetang's post-mortem report as an FIR, which amounts to contempt of court.
"We sat in the police station for about five hours to register an FIR, but instead of taking our FIR, they (cops) treated our application to get post-mortem report as an FIR. This is non-compliance with the Gujarat High court order and a contempt of court," Mangukia said.

Swetang was allegedly forcibly taken away by police on August 25. A plea moved by Swetang's mother said he was allegedly beaten by police and ultimately succumbed to the injuries. Gujarat High Court had ordered a second autopsy, which stated that he had died due to severe head injury.
Observing that it was prima facie a case of homicide, high court had yesterday directed the administration to file an FIR and also ordered a CID probe.
Swetang's funeral will be held tomorrow and is likely to be attended by Hardik Patel, the 22-year-old spearheading the agitation by Patel community for reservation under OBC quota.