Mumbai: 3 custodial suicides in 9 months raise concerns
What's the story
In less than a year, three suicides have taken place in various Mumbai police detention centers, prompting a potential reassessment of security measures. The latest incident involved Anuj Thapan, a 32-year-old suspect in the Salman Khan house shooting case. Thapan was found dead in the first-floor bathroom of the lock-up inside the Mumbai police headquarters on Wednesday morning.
Case background
Details emerge on Thapan's involvement in shooting case
Thapan was arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch in Punjab last week for his alleged role in providing firearms to the two individuals accused of firing five shots outside Khan's home on April 14. The circumstances surrounding Thapan's suicide remain unclear. An investigative agency other than the crime branch may now conduct a thorough investigation into this custodial death.
Past incidents
Previous suicides in Mumbai detention centers
Prior to Thapan's case, Vikram Atwal, a maintenance worker at a Marol residential complex, reportedly committed suicide in an Andheri police detention center on September 8, 2023. Atwal was in custody for allegedly murdering air hostess Rupal Ogrey at her Marol apartment. The reasons behind Atwal's suicide remain unknown; however, police speculate that remorse and familial shame due to his crime might have been factors.
Initial case
First suicide incident raises concerns
The first of these three incidents occurred on July 28, when Deepak Jadhav, detained for murder, reportedly committed suicide inside the Borivali general police lock-up. Jadhav was held in Yerwada jail after being arrested by Pune's Bharati Vidyapeeth police station and was transferred to Borivali police custody for an assault case with court permission. However, he allegedly died by suicide before being produced in court again. Like the other two, the reason behind the alleged suicide remains unclear.