6 Jaipur cops suspended as theft suspect dies by suicide in custody

A 28-year-old man, Manish Pandey, died by suicide inside the Sadar police station in Jaipur on Saturday evening after being detained for allegedly stealing a two-wheeler. According to Jaipur Police, he was caught by locals near the railway station while attempting to steal a motorcycle and was under the influence of alcohol at the time. Locals handed him over to the police after physically assaulting him.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dharmveer Singh stated that Manish was made to sit in the head moharir (HM) room at the police station as a theft case had been registered. Singh said, “Since he was intoxicated, he was made to wait in that room primarily. Meanwhile, all the staff got busy with other work and nobody was there to keep a watch on him.” A staff member who later returned to the room found him hanging from the ceiling fan.

He was immediately shifted to SMS Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. His body was sent for postmortem and his family, who arrived in Jaipur on Sunday morning, were informed of the incident. A police team was deployed outside the mortuary at SMS Hospital to maintain law and order.

Jaipur Police Commissioner Biju George Joseph suspended six police personnel, including the Circle Inspector, two sub-inspectors, two head constables, and one constable. All were transferred to the police lines for negligence, as no personnel had been assigned to monitor the accused while in custody. A judicial magistrate has been assigned to conduct an independent inquiry into the custodial death.

Following negotiations with officials, an agreement was reached with the family. Anil Chaturvedi, National President of Parshuram Sena, stated that the government accepted the demands. The deceased’s wife will be offered a contractual job, and ₹10 lakh compensation will be provided through social organisations with additional state support. Former minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas met the family at the protest site and called for action, stating, “Police are responsible for everyone’s security. The government has to answer.”