CHENNAI: A 22-year-old man, who was taken for an inquiry by Neelankarai police Thursday night, died in custody in the wee hours of Friday. A magistrate probe has been launched.V Anthony Raj (22), a native of Ezhil Nagar in Semmencherry near Perumbakkam, was facing nine cases, mostly of chain-snatching and theft, in Neelankarai, Pallavaram, Thoraipakkam and Pazhavanthangal, said a police officer.
M C Sarangan, Additional Commissioner of Police, Law and Order (South), told Express, “On Thursday night, Neelankarai police nabbed Anthony at his girlfriend’s house in Kannagi Nagar and took him to the station for one of the cases he is involved in.”
He added that during the enquiry, Anthony felt giddy and fainted. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead. “Later he was taken to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and was then sent to the Royapettah hospital for autopsy. Since he died in police custody, CrPC Section 176 has been invoked and a magistrate enquiry is ordered,” G Shashank Sai, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Adyar told Express.
Police sources said cops Mugilan, Senthil Kumaran and Loganathan, who brought him for the inquiry, were under inquiry with CCTV footage from police station also being reviewed.It may be recalled that in September 2016, Karthik (21), who was a suspect in a chain-snatching case, died in Kannagi Nagar police custody.