ACF Madan Naik was detained at station for 6 hrs

Police officers at Dandeli station could have saved ACF Madan Naik, who was attacked by a group of drunken revelers at the Crocodile Park in Dandeli on Monday, had they shifted him to the hospital on time.

They made him wait for six hours from 4.30pm to 10.30 pm despite the severe head injury he suffered during the assault by the revelers. They shifted him to the hospital only after he collapsed at 10.30 pm due an internal blood clot, according to doctors who carried out the postmortem.

Also, the police have not withdrawn the case of atrocity filed against Naik even after his death. “There is no chance for a case Naik. The police should seek advice from their legal cell before continuing with the case,” said Narasimha Nayak, an advocate at Dandeli.

Inspector general of police (western range) Pratap Reddy, who visited Dandeli on Thursday, told DNA: “Initially it was thought to be a usual assault case but after the ACF died we re-filed the case under IPC 302. It may take some time to decide the fate of the atrocity case. Naik had engaged in a scuffle with the group who assaulted him.”