Two cops suspended in Shwetang Patel custodial death case

Ahmedabad

CID crime probing the custodial death of Patidar youth Shwetang Patel, who died in police custody after he was picked up during the the statewide violence that erupted in the evening of August 25 following the detention of Patidar Anamat Aandolan Samiti (PAAS) leaders here, has suspended two policemen including the then PSO of Bapunagar police station of the city in this connection.

Ms Shweta Shrimali, DCP crime (zone 5) today said that PSO Dashrath Singh and constable Himmat Singh, posted in Bapunagar police station, have been suspended following a departmental inquiry in to the custodial death case.

Shwetang, 32 used to live at Matru Shakti Society in Bapunagar where curfew was imposed during the violence. He was picked by the cops on the night of August 25 after violence erupted in the city following detention of PAAS leader Hardik Patel from the GMDC ground. He was rushed to a hospital following complaints of headache where he died after a brief treatment.

The Gujarat High Court had handed over the inquiry to the CID crime when the second post-mortem conducted at its intervention showed head injuries. Shwetang’s funeral was also conducted amid tight security on the instructions of the court which held a late evening hearing to review the possible law and order threat during his last rites.

CID crime took more than 60 statements of witnesses including that of Patel’s mother Prabha Patel who had taken the matter to the court. Recently she had expressed unhappiness over the probe.

A total of 10 people including a policeman from Surat were killed during the August 25-26 violence. Over 200 vehicles and dozens of police stations and government offices were also burnt down.

– DeshGujarat