The Hisar police have officially registered a case of murder in connection with the custodial death of a 48-year-old man, a case that has sparked outrage and protests for nearly five months. The action follows a judicial inquiry into the incident where the deceased, Sanjay Kantiwal, was found dead in a police outpost lockup in Mangali village.
Sequence of Events and the Judicial Probe
The tragic incident dates back to the night of July 22. According to the complaint filed by the deceased's son, Amit Kantiwal, his father Sanjay, a resident of Mangali Jhara village, had an argument with his mother while under the influence of alcohol. Following this, his mother dialled the emergency number 112.
A police team arrived at their home and took Sanjay Kantiwal into custody. He was subsequently lodged in the lockup of the Mangali police outpost. Shockingly, when police personnel checked the lockup the following morning, Sanjay was found dead.
The discovery triggered large-scale protests by local villagers, who alleged severe police brutality. The public pressure compelled the authorities to order a judicial inquiry into the matter. On the basis of this judicial inquiry report, submitted on September 29, the Hisar police have now registered a First Information Report (FIR) for murder.
Family's Allegations and Post-Mortem Findings
Despite the registration of the FIR, the victim's family has expressed deep dissatisfaction with the judicial inquiry's conclusions. Amit Kantiwal had earlier submitted a formal complaint to the Sadar police station in-charge and the Superintendent of Police, demanding an FIR against three specific police personnel: ASI Rakesh, Constable Deepak, and Special Police Inspector Suresh Kumar.
He has sought action under Section 103 (murder) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita and relevant provisions of the SC/ST Act. The core of his complaint rests on the chilling findings of the post-mortem report.
The autopsy recorded a total of 23 injuries on Sanjay Kantiwal's body. One injury was estimated to be 7 to 8 days old. However, the remaining 22 injuries were inflicted within 12 hours prior to his death. The report explicitly stated that the cause of death was due to these pre-mortem injuries.
Amit has questioned the police narrative, pointing out that no injuries were documented when his father was placed in the lockup. He argues that had there been any visible injuries at that time, the police had a duty to admit him to a hospital immediately. He further claims that none of the witnesses examined during the judicial inquiry stated that Sanjay had any injuries when he was brought to the police outpost.
Unanswered Questions and Official Stance
Amit Kantiwal has raised a critical contradiction that challenges the official version of events. He cited testimony from a Special Police Officer (SPO) who stated that Sanjay was "snoring and sleeping" at around 10:30 PM on the night of his custody.
"How can a person with 22 injuries, including injuries on the head, be sleeping and snoring?" Amit questioned, highlighting the apparent inconsistency. He alleges that the judicial inquiry report failed to fix clear responsibility for the murder, which is why he remains unsatisfied.
In response, a police spokesperson has maintained that the FIR was registered strictly as per the findings and recommendations of the judicial inquiry report. The case marks a significant, yet contentious, step in a five-month-long struggle for justice by the family, which continues to seek accountability for the injuries that led to Sanjay Kantiwal's death in police custody.
