AHMEDABAD: In a developing story from Gujarat's Surat district, Shivshankar Chaurasia, the accused in the Mangarol gang rape case, has died, with cardiac arrest suspected as the cause.
He reportedly experienced breathing difficulties during interrogation and was placed on a ventilator at Surat Civil Hospital, where he later passed away.
The case began on 9th October 2024, when a minor girl was allegedly gang-raped on the outskirts of Mota Borsara village. Following the crime, police quickly identified three suspects from Gujarat. The Surat Crime Branch launched an immediate manhunt, tracking the accused to Tadkeshwar village in Mandvi.
As the police closed in, the suspects attempted to flee, prompting officers to open fire. Two of the accused, Munna Karbali Paswan and Shiv Shankar alias Dayashankar Chaurasia, were apprehended, while the third, identified as Raju, managed to escape.
During interrogation, Shiv Shankar Chaurasia developed breathing difficulties and was taken to Kamraj Health Centre around 1:30 PM. Due to his worsening condition, he was then transferred to the Civil Hospital, where he later died. "During the interrogation, the accused experienced breathing problems and was taken to Kamraj Health Center," said LCB PI Rajesh Bhatol to local media. "Due to his worsening condition, he was then transferred to the Civil Hospital, where he later passed away."\
A forensic post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of his health deterioration. Meanwhile, the other accused have been presented in court, Bhatol added.
According to police sources, Shiv Shankar Chaurasia, 45, who died in custody, was one of the two accused in the recent case and had a long history of criminal activity. Multiple cases have been registered against him in Vadodara, Bharuch, and North Gujarat.
Earlier this year, Chaurasia was booked under the Arms Act at Amirgarh Police Station. Last year, a theft case was filed against him at Karajan Police Station. Additionally, police investigations revealed that seven years ago, a murder charge had been registered against him in the jurisdiction of Ankleshwar GIDC Police Station.
On the night of the incident, a 17-year-old girl was raped by three men in Borsaran village, Mangrol taluka, Surat district. The assailants attacked and chased away the victim's friend before committing the crime. Villagers, alerted by the victim's friend, rushed the semi-naked and injured minor to the hospital. The attackers also stole the mobile phones of both the victim and her friend.
According to the victim's family, the girl had come to meet her friend, a fellow student, in Kim. Around 10:30 PM, after having ice cream with two other friends, they headed to a highway petrol pump near Big Borsara to refuel. While they briefly sat in a field by the roadside, the assailants arrived and carried out the crime.