Top Mumbai cop made party in torture-death case

The Bombay high court has directed the Mumbai police commissioner to be made a party in a petition alleging police torture of a 24-year-old vada pav seller Sachin Khopkar, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances early this year in Chembur.

The petition filed by Avinash Rasal, resident of the same vicinity as the deceased Khopkar, has sought the quashing of the FIR  of rioting lodged against them by the RCF police and seeking inquiry against the police officers who allegedly assaulted Khopkar, leading to his death.

“The court directed us to make the police commissioner party to the petition and issued notice to respondents to reply by June 30,” said counsel Sanjeev Kadam.

The petition states that Sayyed Sadam, 25, Avinash Waghsawre, 21, and Swapnil Peter, 22 were standing with Khopkar under their building at RCF at 12.30am on the date of the incident, when two beat constables on night round asked them to clear the area. They allegedly began slapping the boys. The three left immediately. Khopkar, who stayed back, was beaten unconscious. Later, a preliminary forensic report revealed that the youth had died of lung fibrosis and not due to any injuries. This claim was refuted by the family who have demanded an independent inquiry since the beginning.

Kadam argued in court that “The circumstances in which Khopkar had died were not normal and the incident cannot be taken at face value and needs to be thoroughly investigated.”