PANAJI: The state recently witnessed the custodial deaths of Ajay Kaushal and Anand Kambli. Ajay Kaushal, a British fugitive wanted in Britain in a case of assault and abduction of a businessman and lodged in judicial custody in Sub Jail at Vasco, was suspected to have died of an overdose of some medicine.
Anand Kambli, a beach shack waiter, who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on March 24 for murdering a British woman in 2007, committed suicide by hanging in his prison cell.
Since 1990 till date, Goa has seen 12 custodial deaths in all, which occurred in various talukas in the state. These include death of dreaded criminals like Abdul Gaffar Khan and petty thieves like Rajesh Kumar. Most of these custodial deaths have been a result of suicide by hanging either in the prison cell or in the toilets of the jail.
Of the 12 custodial deaths, six cases were reported in the North while six were reported in South Goa. The death of Dattu Dessai that occurred in Cuncolim police station initially seemed mysterious but after a detailed inquiry erring police officer ASI, S Y Dessai and head constable Madhukar Raut Dessai were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in the case on November 26, 2008. No other police personnel have been convicted till date in custodial deaths that shook the state.
In Calangute, Vidhyadhar Tuenkar was found hanging in the police lock up and cops had registered it as an unnatural death on February 11, 1992. The body was found hanging with a cord, which was tied to a window grill of the lock-up toilet.
In Ponda, Mahendra Tari from Diwar committed suicide by hanging himself in the lock up on December 30, 1992. Mahendra was initially arrested after he had withdrawn a sum of Rs 1.25 lakh by forging the signature of the authorities of Goa Telematic Limited at Kundaim Industrial Estate after committing theft of 7 blank cheques.
In yet another case that occurred at Ponda police station, a Sulabh toilet attendant, Rajesh Kumar Jha had committed theft of a gold chain from a child when the mother had gone to answer nature’s call by keeping the child with the attendent. Rajesh Kumar was arrested and he consequently admitted to the crime and showed his willingness to reveal the place where he had hidden the chain. He was taken to the toilet but he jumped into the underground water tank and got drowned. The incident occurred on December 3, 1999.
On March 24, 1993, Rajan Chari from Nagzar in Pernem was arrested under sections 457 and 380 of Indian Penal Code and was remanded to five-day police custody. While in custody on the fourth day, he committed suicide by hanging with the help of an iron chain of a toilet latrine.
Among the six cases of custodial deaths registered in South Goa is a case of a 60-year-old person George Vaz who expired in Margao jail on March 1, 1993. On May 15, 1994, a noted criminal Abdul Gaffar Khan from Khareband, Margao was rounded up by the police at night from his residence for questioning but later on he was declared dead.
Thereafter, the CID crime branch registered an offence against the police officer S U V Cairo and police constable Savlo Naik. The body was left in the GMC morgue unclaimed by the relatives for months together.
Twenty-two-year-old Birendra Chawan from Johnpur in Uttar Pradesh, who was arrested under Section 41 of CrPC by Vasco police was found hanging with the help of a bedsheet. He was picked up by the police on June 15, 1996, for moving in a suspicious manner in the night. He ended his life on the same night.
In a case that occurred in Verna police station a native of Mysore, Karnataka, Prakash Kalyan Rao Kulkarni was arrested under Section 407 of Indian Penal Code and was found hanging in the lock up on May 25, 1998.
On June 15, 2005, a resident of Baina, Prakash Naik alias Ashiquie was arrested by police under sections 457 and 380 of Indian Penal Code. He showed some signs of restlessness with symptoms of being an alcoholic and while on way to Chicalim Cottage Hospital he hit himself on the PCR van door thus severely injuring himself. He was later referred to the Goa Medical College and Hospital at Bambolim but died while undergoing treatment.
