JAMMU: A Madhya Pradesh native arrested in a theft case died on Tuesday night at Jammu’s Government Medical College, where he was admitted after complaining of chest pain in lockup.
Jammu police, which was accused of custodial torture after a terror suspect recently died by suicide following his questioning in Kathua, was quick to clarify that all procedures had been followed in the case of the deceased, Suresh Anuragi.
Anuragi was arrested on Feb 4 along with two other persons for stealing household items and remanded in police custody.
A police spokesperson said on Tuesday, Anuragi complained of severe chest and abdominal pain, and was promptly shifted to district police hospital, and his family was notified. Around 4 pm, he was referred to GMC, where he died during treatment at about 9.30 pm.
Police said Anuragi’s family was present with him at the hospital during his treatment. “Anuragi had a history of drug addiction and had previously undergone treatment at a de-addiction centre,” the spokesperson said, quoting his family members.
During his police remand at Bahu Fort police station, the medical check-up of Anuragi was done regularly (five times), as per the SOP, the spokesperson said.
However, to rule out any allegations of foul play, a request for a magistrate inquiry has been submitted, and an intimation has also been sent to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), police said.
A postmortem examination by a medical board had also been ordered, they added.