Chief judicial magistrate Alek Muivah ordered judicial probe. (Representational image)
A court in Manipur on Thursday ordered a judicial inquiry into the alleged death of a jeweller in police custody on Wednesday in Imphal.
Chief judicial magistrate, Imphal West, Alek Muivah, directed the judicial magistrate first class/ Imphal West - II, Robert Lhungdim (MJS) to conduct judicial inquiry into the alleged custodial death of the jeweller and submit the report within two weeks.
According to reports, on Tuesday, at around 9 am, some police personnel in civil dress picked up the 37-year-old Arambam Nanao from his residence in Sagolband Kangabam Leikai on the charge of not returning borrowed gold. Hours later, they released him, but on returning home, he reportedly collapsed and died in a hospital.
The victim's mother, Arambam Kombirei Devi requested the court to institute an independent inquiry into the death of her son.
She alleged that at around 9 am on Monday, some 3 to 4 police personnel in civil dress took her son and one individual identifying himself as Sub Inspector Jitendra of Imphal Police Station asked the family members to come to the Imphal Police Station for questioning. She said that at the police station they were made to wait for several hours after which SI Jitendra demanded ₹5 lakh for the release of her son.
The family has further alleged that some police personnel brought Nanao back home and took him to his room. None of the family members were allowed by the police personnel to meet or attend to him in his room, the family further alleged.
Later, Nanao was brought out of the room by the cops in unconscious state and rushed to hospital where the doctor declared him brought dead, his family said.
The family has filed a complaint against the police for custodial torture. The cop, Th Jitendra Singh was suspended, police sources added.
The court ordered that until the judicial inquiry is completed, none of the accused police officers will be transferred out of the Imphal Police Station.