24-year-old Bihar man arrested by locals on suspicion of theft dies in police custody

Patna:A 24-year-old man beaten up by a mob suspected of attempted burglary in Bihar’s Gaya district on Saturday died in police custody the next day, a senior district police official said on Monday.

Gaya city Superintendent of Police (SP) Prerna Kumar said the deceased, Mohammad Shahzad, was arrested on July 6 from Banke Gali locality by Kotwali police on the charge that he was caught committing a burglary by 4-5 residents after midnight on Friday.

The group allegedly beat him up before handing him over to the police. Police said a complaint of theft and housebreaking by Prawin Khatoon had been filed against Shahzad, who was arrested.

Shahzad’s father, Mohammad Iliyas, blamed his son’s death on those who caught and beat him, saying the police acted negligently by not providing him timely medical attention. He also insisted that his son was falsely implicated in the theft case. Shahzad, he added, was on his way to his grandmother’s house around midnight on Friday when four or five people overpowered him and beat him mercilessly.

“On July 6, they handed my son over to the police on charges of theft,” he said.

“My son died because of the beatings inflicted by people and the delay in treatment by the police,” Iliyas said, adding that they filed a complaint against the men who beat him but no action was taken.

The city prosecutor refuted the charges, saying Shahzad was taken to Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital after complaining of stomach pain. He died at the hospital while undergoing treatment.

The officer added that a medical board has been constituted to conduct the autopsy to ascertain the exact cause of death. Action will be taken after the autopsy report is received.