MP: Suspect in theft case dies in police custody; four cops suspended

A man brought in for questioning for a motorcycle theft died hours after being detained, prompting the Madhya Pradesh government to suspend four personnel of a police station in Khandwa district, an official said on Tuesday.

Kishan Mankar, a resident of Gogawa Nipani village, died around 2 pm in the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday in police custody at Omkareshwar police station in Khandwa district, the official said.

Speaking to reporters in Bhopal, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra said Kishan, along with his brother and other accomplices, was brought to the police station in connection with the theft of a motorcycle.

To ensure a fair investigation, I have directed that the station in-charge (Omkareshwar police station), an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and two constables be suspended, the minister said, adding that a magisterial inquiry has also been ordered into the incident.

The deceased man's brother has claimed that he suffered from a respiratory disease, but the real cause of death will be known once the post-mortem report is out, Mishra said.

Khandwa's Superintendent of Police Vivek Singh rushed to Omkareshwar following the incident and said a probe has been initiated to find out the circumstances of the death.

According to police sources, Mankar was brought to the police station for interrogation about a motorcycle theft on Monday, and he complained of uneasiness around midnight, following which he was taken to a hospital where he died.

Last week, a 35-year-old tribal man died in police custody in neighbouring Khargone district, prompting the state government to suspend five policemen and transfer the superintendent of police of the district.