Patna: The situation in Bihar’s Kanti district has turned tense after a man accused of bike theft died under mysterious circumstances in police custody in Muzaffarpur district on Thursday.
Sources said that the deceased, Shivam Kumar Jha (35), a resident of Kalwari village was taken into custody by Kanti police station on Tuesday.
Tragically, on Thursday morning, he was found dead in the police lock-up, with authorities suggesting suicide as the cause.
Following this incident, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sushil Kumar suspended the Station House Officer (SHO) Sudhakar Pandey and two other police personnel for negligence.
The death has led to significant unrest among Jha’s family members and residents of Kalwari village, who have accused the police of foul play and are demanding a thorough investigation.
SSP Sushil Kumar stated, “From the CCTV footage, it appears that Shivam Jha, who was in custody, has died under suspicious circumstances.
“Prima facie, it has been found that there was negligence on the part of the on-duty officer and constable. Apart from that, the negligence of the SHO is also visible prima facie. All three have been suspended. This is a case of custodial death in police lock-up, so we are following the guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission and the Supreme Court,” he said.
“The situation escalated as people from Kalwari and nearby villages gathered at the police station. They vandalised the police station, prompting senior police officers, including the City SP, Rural SP, City DSP, and Western DSP, along with SSB and district police, to camp at the site to manage the situation and conduct an investigation,” the SSP added.