Three weeks after a tribal man’s death in police custody, the police are yet to accept his family’s request to share a copy of the postmortem report in Diwal village of Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district.

Police claims that Dharmendra Dangode was arrested for stealing a motorcycle on August 21, that the two-wheeler was recovered from his house, and that he died by suicide inside the Pandhana police station by using a torn quilt on August 23. 

But Dharmendra’s family insists that his body bore signs of many severe injuries, and that the police refused to share details of the postmortem report, CCTV footage from the police station, and even the FIR in which he was held. They alleged that Dharmendra was never produced before a magistrate, even 24 hours after his arrest.

A judicial probe was launched on the day of the death, days before four police officials, including the Pandhana SHO, were suspended over negligence. 

Meanwhile, the police headquarters in Bhopal issued a circular this week to prevent custodial deaths after another “suicide” inside a police station in Morena on September 1, days after the Khandwa incident. 

In August last year, the Narendra Modi government had furnished state-wise data on custodial deaths in the Lok Sabha. Madhya Pradesh had recorded eight instances in 2022-23, with Maharashtra topping the list with 23 instances. 

‘Even a bull would’ve succumbed’

Isram Golkar, a 38-year-old villager, said “even a bull would have succumbed” to injuries like the one he saw when he was called to the Khandwa district hospital to identify the body before the postmortem on August 24.

“The soles were black, the left ankle looked crushed, the left thigh had five lathi-shaped bruises, and his buttocks were heavily discolored. His palms were also black and his left hand and fingers looked fractured. Bruises covered his shoulders, and a large contusion extended from his back to his right ribs. His entire back was black and blue…There was also a major injury at the back of his head, near the neck,” Golkar claimed.

The police had picked up Dharmendra, a mason, after searching his home in Diwal around 9.30 pm on August 21. He was taken to the Pandhana police station, and then to his parents’ house, which was searched by the police, in Nemit village in Khargone district the next day. On the morning of August 24, the police informed his wife Ranu Bai that he had died by suicide.

But Rani alleged that she saw Dharmendra being beaten with iron rods and that the police did not allow her to meet her husband in the police station.

“On August 21, three police officials arrived at our house…They informed us that there was an outstanding warrant against Dharmendra from five years ago. Despite our request to see the warrant, they refused to show it. They then took him to the Pandhana police station, which is about 15 km away. When I went to the police station in the morning, I was not allowed to see him. Instead I saw five men beating him. When I asked the police why this was happening, they told me that Dharmendra was allegedly involved in the theft of motorcycles.”

Rani claimed that Dharmendra called her from the police station on the evening of August 23, asking her to come at 8 am the next day. “I arrived at 6 am. When I asked about meeting him, officials informed me that he had committed suicide by hanging himself…I asked them how it was even possible, considering they had broken one of his hands and a leg. They then told me that Dharmendra had been taken to Khandwa…police are covering up the truth…they are withholding both the postmortem report and the CCTV footage,” she alleged.

Dharmendra’s father Guman Singh said his son could barely walk when the police came with him to their house in Nemit on August 22. “He was in a deplorable state, wearing only his underwear and a vest. He had been severely beaten. He could barely walk, and the entire village saw this. Seeing him in such a condition broke my heart.”

Singh alleged the police never allowed him to meet his son. “He leaves behind three young children. The police initially promised us Rs 11 lakh and have already given us Rs 6 lakh as compensation. However, we don’t want money; we want justice for him. The police had no warrant and no case against him. They picked him up for some arbitrary reason and brutally beat him to death. Now they seem to think that if they throw money at us, we’ll be silenced. But we will not be silenced.”

Singh said the family had submitted a formal request to the Khandwa SP and the Pandhana SHO on August 29 to obtain the postmortem report. “But we are yet to receive it. The delay in providing this report raises suspicions.”

An RTI application was also filed on September 2 to seek a postmortem report.

Will take appropriate action: SP

Nitin Varghese, a tribal rights activist privy to the incident, said, “A judicial inquiry had been ordered by the administration and the police, but the family has not received the said order, which details the terms of reference upon which the investigation is to take place, nor have they been formally notified of the opportunity to depose before the enquiring magistrate.”

Newslaundry reached out to Khanda SP Manoj Kumar Rai to seek his comment on the family’s allegations. “Who told you this? Since a judicial inquiry is in progress, the police can’t get involved right now. However, I’ve told my officers to work with the magistrate to get the postmortem report to the family. We’ll take appropriate action based on the inquiry’s findings.”

Newslaundry also reached out to Pandhana SHO Dilip Devda for comment. He refused to comment saying the incident had taken place when another officer was in-charge at the station.