Kathua/Jammu, Feb 7 (PTI) Hundreds of protesters on Monday blocked a railway track for over two hours in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district, demanding registration of an FIR into the mysterious death of a 35-year-old man in a police lockup in nearby Kathua district, officials said.
Authorities in Kathua district have already ordered a magisterial probe into the death of Sunil Verma, who was found hanging by his muffler inside the washroom at Hiranagar police station of Kathua early Sunday.
Three policemen were placed under suspension and the station house officer (SHO) of the police station concerned was attached to the district police lines as the police also ordered a separate departmental inquiry following massive protest by relatives of the deceased.
As the body of Verma was handed over to his family at Tapyal village of Samba for last rites after completion of legal formalities on Monday, a protest broke out against his “custodial death” and the villagers also blocked the railway track demanding an impartial probe and registration of a murder case.
“The body bore visible third degree torture marks indicating that he had not committed suicide but was murdered in custody,” Dharamveer, an uncle of the deceased, said, demanding registration of a murder case against the police officers concerned.
However, the protesters later dispersed and performed the last rites of the deceased on the assurance of senior police and civil officers who rushed to the scene to maintain law and order. PTI COR TAS AB CK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.