Gujarat ‘custodial death’: Migrant’s son draws HC attention to constable’s statement on body

He drew the court’s attention to the police official’s statement on October 23, during a hearing before a division bench.

According to the police’s investigation report, head constable at Fatehgunj police station Mahesh Rathwa had in a statement before the Vadodara police during its investigation after the FIR in July, submitted that one of the accused, Pankajbhai had taken his car from his residence. As per Rathwa’s statement, the next day on December 11, 2019, he went for his duty as usual when he received a call from Pankajbhai who asked Rathwa where he was and told him to come to Chhani Jakat junction.

The statement says, “There Pankajbhai was present with my car and he informed me that the car has become muddy and it needs to be serviced… I followed on my motorcycle and at the service station I saw that the plastic packing on the rear side of my backseat was torn and my car was muddy… Maheshbhai said, to tell you the truth the suspect (Nisar) died after we went to Police Bhavan and we kept his body in your car and drove to Mahisgar side and burned it with wood and petrol.”