Man dies in lock-up, family cries foul

AHMEDABAD: Can a man commit suicide with his handkerchief? Mahesh Singh Rajput, 53, a BSNL employee, actually did. That too inside the Sarkhej police station's lock-up! At least, that is what the police want us to believe.
While the Sarkhej police are at pains to convince everyone that this is a case of suicide, Mahesh's family members are crying murder.They assert that this is a case of custodial death caused by police brutality. Mahesh was picked up by a team of Sarkhej police station officials on July 14 from his workplace, a plastic factory. Two days later, police called up his native place - Trikamgad in Madhya Pradesh - to intimate his kin about the death.
This, despite the fact that Mahesh's wife and son stay in Gota. Mahesh's kin now feel the police may have killed him. "How can a handkerchief be used in suicide?" asked the deceased's nephew Dhirendra Singh Rajput. He has written a letter to the DGP, Gujarat, alleging that police killed his uncle. He has demanded a second postmortem and complaint of murder against the police. Till this happens, he said, "We will not take custody of my uncle's body."
Sarkhej police inspector J D Trivedi, however, said, "Mahesh was an accused in a kidnapping case and so we arrested him. He committed suicide with the help of a handkerchief in the lock-up. The reason for this is unknown. We are still to arrest his wife and younger son in the case."
Rajput was employed as a workman in BSNL, Vasna unit, for the past 30 years. Mahesh, his wife and two sons were staying at Gota Housing Colony. A year-and-a-half back, Mahesh's elder son Jitendra, a driver, eloped with a minor girl. The two are still traceable.
The girl's father lodged a complaint at Sarkhej police station against Jitendra and his family, accusing them of kidnap. Sarkhej police had then nabbed Mahesh and his younger son, but released them later. In the meantime, Mahesh's mother died at his native place, so he rushed home. A property dispute arose and Mahesh's elder brother was killed. Mahesh was jailed along with many others for 10 months.
Mahesh returned to city in February to resume work at BSNL but had to wait due to his absence. He then joined a factory in Gota from where he was picked up.