HC orders Parbhani police to file FIR in Somnath Suryawanshi custodial death case within a week

The Bombay High Court on Friday ordered the police to register an FIR within a week in the custodial death of Somnath Suryawanshi, who was arrested following violence in Parbhani in December last year.

In its interim order, the Aurangabad bench of the high court gave this direction to the inspector of Mondha police station in Parbhani, and also asked the district Superintendent of Police (SP) to hand over the probe into the case to a Deputy Superintendent of Police-rank officer.

Suryavanshi, 35, died at a state-run hospital in Parbhani on December 15 last while in judicial custody, days after he was arrested in connection with violence in the city over the desecration of a glass-encased replica of the Constitution. Police had said Suryavanshi died after taking ill.

A magisterial inquiry into Suryawanshi's custodial death has concluded that police were responsible for it, the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission said in March this year. ''Perusal of the report of the magisterial inquiry shows that the judicial magistrate has concluded that Suryawanshi was assaulted at Nava Mondha Police Station in Parbhani,'' the Commission noted.

According to the magistrate, Parbhani police officials named in his report are responsible for the custodial death of Suryawanshi, it added.

A criminal writ petition was filed in this connection by Somnath's mother Vijayabai Suryawanshi with Prakash Ambedkar representing her. The court passed the interim order in the case, directing the inspector of Mondha police station to register a case on the basis of the compliant application filed on 18 December 2024. The court also directed the Parbhani SP to hand over the investigation to a Deputy Superintendent of Police-rank officer. The case will next be heard on 30 July, as per the HC order.

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