Bombay HC asks govt, police for post-mortem report

Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Friday asked the state government and Titwala police to submit the post-mortem report regarding the death of Mitesh Jagtap (22), an automobile engineer who had hanged himself — allegedly due to police torture — on August 23, along with all the other details under section 174 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.  

Mitesh’s mother, Pushpa Jagtap, has approached the high court and sought action against the cops who allegedly tortured her son on the pretext of theft.

She also alleged that Titwala police officers had offered Rs 20 lakh to settle the matter. The high court has kept the matter for further hearing on January 9, 2018.

Ms Jagtap’s petition stated that the higher police officers of the state machinery did not take cognisance of her complaint; therefore she had no alternate remedy but to approach the high court.

It also states that police sub-inspector (PSI) Ganpat Sule, constable Anil Rathod, senior PI Pradeep Kasbe and police inspector Rajesh Khopkar had allegedly abetted the suicide of her son.

The petition stated that at 11.30 pm on August 20, Mitesh called his father and informed him that he wanted to repair his bike.

Around 2.30 am the next day, Mitesh’s father Rajesh got a call from Titwala police station informing him that his son was arrested with a motorcycle with no number plate. Rajesh rushed to police station and gave all the papers related to bike.

The petitioner alleged that police forcefully took his jacket and mobile phone and didn’t make any seizure panchnama after they called him.

The petition also alleged that police had forcefully made Rajesh sign a document, and sent Mitesh’s body for a post-mortem and quickly cremated it with the aid of a local politician.

The petition also alleged that after the death of Mitesh, the police didn’t record eyewitnesses’ statements.