UDUPI: A 45-year-old labourer died in police custody in Brahmavara on Sunday after he was arrested the previous day for allegedly harassing a woman and her children. The deceased, Biju Mohan, was a migrant from Kollam in Kerala.
Udupi Superintendent of Police Dr Arun K said the Bramhavara police received a call at 7.45 pm on Saturday from Cherkady village, saying an unidentified man was allegedly harassing a woman and her children. The victim, accompanied by her brother, also filed a complaint, stating that the man entered her home and harassed her and her children.
A case was subsequently registered, and the accused was taken into custody. At 3.45 am, a sentry noticed Biju sitting motionless, with his head resting against the wall. He was immediately shifted to the Brahmavara Community Health Centre, but was declared brought dead.
The SP said Biju’s family has been informed and they are expected to arrive soon. “A case will be registered based on their complaint. Since this is a case of a lock-up death, the CID will probe the case as per law. A postmortem will be carried out by two medical teams and video recorded, and the inquest will be overseen by a judicial magistrate. All procedures will be followed as per rules and suitable action will be taken,’’ he added.