Ranchi: Deputy collector Ravi Shankar, who is set to hold a magisterial inquiry into the alleged suicide of a 25-year-old man earlier this month at Jagannathpur thana lock-up, on Friday issued a notice to RIMS seeking the post-mortem report.
Ravi Shankar said the acting director of the state-run hospital had been asked to submit the autopsy report to the one-man commission before July 3, which is the next date of hearing.
"While RIMS has been asked to submit the report, five members of the youth's family - including his widow - have been asked to record their statements with police," the deputy collector said, adding that all of them were present in the thana when Sunil Kachhap allegedly banged his head on the wall and died.
Kachhap, a resident of Kachnartoli in Hatia, was detained on June 15 following an assault complaint filed by his wife. Two days later, he was formally arrested after mutual settlement failed and the complaint was turned into an FIR. He banged his head on the wall till he collapsed on June 17 and was declared brought dead at RIMS. His death sparked protests and residents blocked traffic on Hesag road the next day.
The deputy collector said thana officers and staff - there were at least seven of them on duty during the incident - too would be summoned to record their statements.
"Anybody else who has information about the custodial death of Sunil Kachhap can approach the inquiry committee. The committee will go through records and statements to check if there was foul play (read abetment)," he said, adding that the magisterial probe was being done according to guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission.
The inquiry report will be submitted to deputy commissioner Rai Mahimapat Ray and the NHRC, he added but did not say when.
Deputy commissioner Ray had ordered both magisterial and judicial inquiries. A magisterial inquiry is akin to a departmental enquiry.
A judicial inquiry, on the other hand, is conducted by a fact-finding commission comprising one or more judicial officers. It is without the trappings and red-tapism of an administrative organ.
