Ramban, Feb 19, KNT: A 27-year-old man, detained for his alleged involvement in multiple theft cases, died at a health centre after falling sick while in police custody in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Wednesday.
The incident has prompted authorities to launch a magisterial inquiry to determine the cause and circumstances leading to his death.
The deceased, identified as Muhammad Abid, a resident of Thopal village in Batote, had been in police custody for several days before he reportedly complained of uneasiness in the lockup on Tuesday. According to officials, he was immediately shifted to Community Health Centre (CHC) Batote, where he later passed away.
Ramban District Magistrate Baseer-ul-Haq Choudhary took swift action by ordering a magisterial inquiry into the incident, appointing Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Rizwan Asgar as the inquiry officer. The officer has been tasked with thoroughly investigating the circumstances surrounding Abid’s death and submitting a report within a week.
“The inquiry officer shall look into the cause and circumstances that lead to the death of the individual and shall fix the responsibility of the same. He shall submit his report within a week’s time positively from the date of issue of this order,” Choudhary stated in his directive issued Tuesday evening.
Officials further revealed that Abid was allegedly a drug addict and had a history of theft-related offenses. [KNT]
