Custodial death: Swetang's mother seeks security of witnesses

Prabhaben Patel, the mother of Swetang Patel who had died allegedly in police custody, today requested senior police authorities to enhance security of the witnesses in the custodial death case.
In a letter written to Director General of Police P C Thakur and city police commissioner Shivanand Jha, Prabhaben Patel said, "Security of eye witnesses and victims of the police atrocity must be enhanced since the accused police personnel is trying to influence them and their well wishers."
"Witnesses are being threatened by private persons that if they become witnesses or give any statements about police custodial death cases, they will not be able to live once this chapter (of custodial death) is closed," Prabhaben Patel stated in the letter.

She also alleged that a couple of witnesses have left their houses due to the constant threats from the police.
"If the assurance of security is not given to witnesses of the case, then it will cause huge harm to the case of my son's custodial death case," she wrote.
The application has also been sent to the Gujarat Home Secretary, Additional Director General of Law and Order and the Inspector General of Police of the CID.

Allegedly, Swetang Patel was taken away forcibly by the police on August 25 during the Patel community's agitation demanding reservation under the Other Backward Caste (OBC) category.

A plea has also been moved by Prabhaben Patel in the Gujarat High Court which stated that Swetang Patel was beaten by the police in custody after which he died.
The Gujarat High Court had ordered a second autopsy of Swetang's body which stated that he had died due to a severe head injury.
Observing that prima facie it is a case of homicide, the Gujarat High Court had directed the administration on Friday to register a First Information Report (FIR) and also ordered a CID probe into Swetang's death.