BHOPAL: Five policemen were suspended after the family of a 25-year old man alleged that he was beaten to death by the security personnel in Bhopal, an official said on Wednesday.
The car of the deceased, identified as Shivam Mishra, met with an accident in the wee hours of Wednesday in the bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor in Bairagarh area here, Inspector General, Bhopal Zone, Yogesh Deshmukh told PTI.
On getting information about the incident, the police reached the spot and took Mishra and his friend to a hospital where the medical test revealed that he was drunk, he said.
Mishra and his friend were then taken to Bairagarh police station where his condition deteriorated, he said.
The police later took Mishra to a hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, Deshmukh said.
"The family members are alleging that the man died after being beaten up by police personnel. These allegations are yet not confirmed. But, action has been taken against the policemen as the death occurred in their custody," he said.
"Five personnel, including Bairagarh police station in-charge Ajay Mishra, a sub-inspector, a havildar and two constables have been suspended. We have proposed a judicial probe into the matter," Deshmukh said.
Meanwhile, the deceased's friend Govind Sharma, who was present with him at the time of the accident and later at the hospital and the police station, alleged that the police personnel beat up Mishra and him "without any reason".
"Our vehicle collided with the BRT railing. Nobody was injured in the accident, only our car was damaged," Sharma, who is also admitted in hospital, told reporters.
"We told the police that we needed medical assistance but instead of helping us, they beat us brutally," he alleged. Mishra's uncle Sanjay Bhargava also alleged that the deceased was severely beaten up by the police.
"Shivam was going for dinner to a hotel in Bairagarh when their car collided with the BRT railing. The police took him along with his friend to Bairagarh Police station, where the cops beaten him up severely," he told PTI.
Bhargava also claimed that Mishra was wearing a gold chain, which was missing.
"Moreover, the police did not inform the family about the death and sent the body to Hamidia Hospital," he rued.
Mishra's father is a head clerk in the police cyber cell and Sharma's father is also employed with the police department, he added.