Family alleges foul play in Naraina ‘custodial death’

A magisterial inquiry is underway and details from the post-mortem examination are awaited to ascertain the cause of death of an inmate in Naraina police station on Tuesday.

Suspicion continued over the custodial death of Dalbir Singh, 54, who had allegedly jumped off the second floor trying to escape from custody, however, his family alleged a conspiracy and called it a murder. They also alleged that the police tortured him and demanded money for his release.

Singh was arrested in connection with a cheating case on Tuesday and produced at the court which remanded him to a day in police custody. He was later taken to the Naraina police station. There he escaped from constable Parvesh’s custody on the second floor. The police officials searched for him and found him injured on the ground behind the police station. He was rushed to DDU hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

The family members said that the police officers who had taken him into custody had demanded Rs 25,000 for his release. “I had gone to arrange for the cash when someone from police station called us and informed that my father had fallen from the building,” Vijay Kumar said.