52 year-old ends life after cops thrash him over property row

A 52-year-old man from Vajreshwari near Virar committed suicide after the police allegedly thrashed him and threatened to put him behind bars following a complaint by his sister over a property dispute.

Mahendra Tambe hanged himself on Friday night at his residence using a dupatta. Family members said Tambe was depressed after the incident. They have demanded action against the police and registration of a case against his sister and her daughters.

Tambe's brother Ganpat said the Ganeshpuri police summoned the former to the police station on June 2 after their sister filed a non-cognisable complaint, alleging that she had been assaulted over the property row. "At the police station, the cops beat my brother black and blue. Not just that, they also allowed our sister and her three daughters to thrash him in front of them. When he came home he was inconsolable," said Ganpat.

Ganpat also alleged that the police threatened to bump his brother off. The incident left him deeply traumatised, he said, adding that the had sat him down and requested him to be strong.

Tambe was a wholesale flower vendor in Vajreshwari. The locality, which is about 70 kms from Mumbai, is a tourist attraction for its hot springs and the famous Ganeshpuri temple.

The family of the deceased wants his sister and her daughters be booked for abetment to suicide. As regards their other allegation, Senior Inspector Gajanan Matondkar of Ganeshpuri police denied that Tambe was assaulted inside the police station.

Matondkar said, "We have registered a case of suicide and further investigations are on. If we find anyone abetted the suicide, we will book the person(s) under section 306 of the Indian Penal Code.