A 27-year-old man, Ankit Rao, arrested for theft, was found dead in the bathroom of the Sahar police station lock-up in Mumbai early Monday morning. According to police reports, Rao, who worked as a chef at a hotel near the Mumbai airport, was apprehended for allegedly stealing mobile phones from his roommates.
Police stated that they recovered three mobile phones from Rao during the investigation, leading to his arrest on Sunday. He was scheduled to appear in court on Monday. However, around 6 a.m., he allegedly went to the bathroom and hanged himself from a pipe. When he did not emerge after a considerable time, the police staff checked on him and found him hanging, according to a police official.
The Crime Branch will conduct an inquiry into the matter, as it is a case of custodial death.
In a similar incident in October 2024, a young man arrested for stealing a motorcycle was found dead in the bathroom of the lock-up at Lalurounk police station. Police claimed that the suspect, 25-year-old Fateh Mohammad Channa, died by suicide, while the victim's relatives alleged that the police had tortured him to death. According to SHO Masroor Shah, Channa was arrested for motorcycle theft and placed in the lockup. He was last seen in the lockup around midday but was discovered missing in the evening, with his body found in the bathroom inside the lockup. Police stated that he had fastened a rope around his neck. He was immediately taken to a hospital in Wagan town, where doctors pronounced him dead.
The victim's father and relatives accused the police of implicating Fateh Mohammad in a fabricated case and fatally beating him in the lockup. They demanded that the Larkana DIG and Qambar-Shahdadkot SSP register a murder case against the SHO and ensure that he receives exemplary punishment. Following the news of his death, a large number of relatives gathered outside the police station, demanding the body be handed over to them.
Another similar incident occurred in 2016, when a man accused of bike theft was found dead in the Tarikere police station. The deceased, T.C. Pradeep (38), was arrested in connection with a bike theft case and was found hanging in the police station's toilet. Superintendent of Police K. Annamalai stated that Pradeep was arrested based on information linking him to the case and that his father was informed about the arrest and was present at the station when Pradeep went to the toilet and locked it from the inside. When Pradeep did not open the door after the police knocked, they broke it open and found him hanging with his trousers. He was rushed to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival. Annamalai confirmed it was a suicide. A case of custodial death was registered and handed over to the CID for further investigation.
In August 2020, Ansari, 38, was found hanging in a toilet at the Fort police station in Thiruvananthapuram after being detained on suspicion of stealing a mobile phone. Ansari's relatives alleged foul play, but an inquest found no bruises on his body. A preliminary investigation suggested suicide, but the post-mortem examination results were awaited to determine the actual cause of death. The Kerala State Human Rights Commission registered a suo moto case regarding the incident.
In December 2015, three police personnel in Baripada Town police station were suspended after a theft accused was found dead in the police station toilet. Chandan Das, 27, was found hanging and had been detained the previous evening.
