DIMAPUR, AUGUST 6 (MExN): Two police officers have been placed under suspension in relation to the alleged custodial death of Ramesh Kumar Yadav. Yadav was under police custody when he reportedly died at around 4:30 am on August 3 subsequent to his arrest a few hours earlier at Naga colony, Burma Camp.
A press release from the ADCP and PRO, Dimapur police cited negligence as the reason for suspension of the two officers, whose identities were not disclosed. “Pending reports of the Magisterial inquiry and other reports, based on the internal enquiry conducted, two officers of Dimapur Police have been placed under suspension with immediate effect for gross negligence and dereliction of duties. Actions on others, if any, is contemplated after further enquiry,” the release stated.
As per copies of the suspension orders circulating in social media, the suspension took effect on August 6 while it was not mentioned in the press release.
According to the release, Yadav was picked up by the police on the wee hours of August 3 for cases related to arms trafficking and drug peddling. One .22 pistol, twenty-one rounds of 7.62mm and 7.65mm ammunition along with 100 tablets of Nitrozepam were further recovered from his house, the release added.
Based on his revelation, two others, identified as Chandan Kumar and Manoj Yadav were arrested. All three were kept in the custody of East Police Station.
“Deceased Ramesh Kumar Yadav was kept separately from the other two in view of safety and security concerns and in the interest of the investigation. At around 0430 hrs, he was found dead,” the release said, adding that in this regard, a UD (Unnatural Death) case has been registered for investigation. The release continued to state that as per the laid down procedure, a Magisterial Inquest of the deceased was conducted, which was videographed, and the dead body taken to the District Hospital, Dimapur for Post Mortem. A report was also immediately dispatched to the National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi and an internal enquiry was initiated, it added.
