Undertrial dies in hospital; kin allege police torture

A 28-year-old undertrial prisoner, arrested two days back on charges of rioting and assault and remanded to judicial custody, died this morning at the city civil hospital where he was rushed to by the Sabarmati jail authorities after his health condition deteriorated, police said.
The relatives of the deceased, Umang Chatwal, gathered outside the hospital and alleged that he died due to "brutal torture" by the police while he was in their custody, although the latter rejected the charge.
Chatwal was arrested on Tuesday by Shahibaug police and a court here had remanded him to judicial custody yesterday following which, he was taken to Sabarmati Central Jail.

"This is a clear case of custodial death due to torture. Umang was admitted to the civil hospital by the jail authorities at night and he died early this morning. He was badly thrashed up by the police when he was in their custody. We want all those responsible for his death to be arrested," a relative of Umang told reporters outside the hospital.
As per the case details, Umang and his brother Pritesh had an altercation with the occupants of a car on Monday when the duo was bursting firecrackers near their residence in the Asarawa area of the city.

"As one of the firecrackers landed in the car, the occupants admonished the brothers. The two siblings allegedly beat up the car owner and the other occupants of the vehicle. We arrested the two on Tuesday and produced them in court yesterday. As per the court order, we sent them to Sabarmati Central Jail," Shahibaug police station Inspector KK Desai said.
Refuting the allegations of torture, Desai claimed that Umang could have sustained injuries during the spat with the occupants of the car.
"It is possible that he might have received internal injuries during the scuffle. He was also suffering from epilepsy. We have sent the body for post-mortem. The autopsy report will bring out the exact cause behind his death," Desai said.