Custodial death case: Family approaches Calcutta HC, seeks autopsy at AIIMS
Calcutta High Court
Kolkata: Family members of Ashoke Shaw, the Kolkata-based youth who died during custody at the Amherst Street Police station, on Thursday approached the Calcutta High Court with a plea that the post-mortem of the body be done at any central hospital like AIIMS instead of state-run hospital.
The family has alleged that Shaw died because of police torture. They approached the division bench of Calcutta High Court’s chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya.
The family members also demanded that the entire process of the post-mortem should be video- recorded.
The division bench has admitted the petition and the matter is expected to be heard either on the second half on Thursday or on Friday.
The victim’s family since Wednesday evening has been saying that the death was because of police torture within the police station premises. They apprehend that in case the post-mortem is done at any state-run hospital there is a high possibility of the report getting fabricated to destroy evidence on this count.
The victim’s family members have alleged that he was summoned to the Amherst Street police station after being accused of purchasing a stolen mobile phone.
He went to the police station on Wednesday afternoon, and after some time his family members were informed by the police that he had expired at the police station.
Bijay, a nephew of the deceased, told media persons that after being informed by the police, his wife Rajani rushed to the Amherst Street police station. “There she saw my uncle’s body lying in the police station premises. She even spotted injury marks on his body. It was evident that the cops had beaten him up in the name of interrogation, which led to his death,” said the nephew.
The local people on Wednesday evening blocked the busy Amherst Street-College Street junction in central Kolkata for a long time demanding action against the guilty policemen. They also demanded that the footage of CCTV installed inside the police station should also be released.