"I'm Sorry": Indore Man Jumps From 5th Floor After Cop Allegedly Slapped Him

He apologised, yet a policeman allegedly slapped him. Minutes later, a frightened 23-year-old man ran upstairs to his apartment and jumped from the fifth floor, dying on the spot.

The tragic death of Raj Makwana in Indore's Tapti Complex between 2 and 3 am on Thursday has raised disturbing questions about the events that unfolded in the final minutes before his death.

According to the family, Raj had stepped out of his flat late at night because of the heat and breathing discomfort. He had been unwell for some time and was undergoing treatment for mental stress, due to which he had been largely staying at home for months. Raj's sister says he often went outside briefly for fresh air when he felt uneasy.

But that night, a security guard stopped him near the building premises and questioned why he was out so late. The exchange reportedly led to an argument. The guard then alerted passing policemen.

The family says the situation escalated quickly when officers began questioning Raj. His relatives told the police that he was mentally challenged and under medication. 

His sister Nikita described the chain of events in painful detail.

"He was mentally challenged and was on medication. He had some breathing problems, so he would go out for a walk," said Raj's sister, Nikita. "He went out at night, but the guard saw him and asked him why he was out. He said, 'I'm taking a walk, as I'm not feeling good.' The guard must have asked him to go home, but he refused. The guard got angry, so he called the police, who investigated my brother. When we found Raj was not at home, we arrived there that night and saw the police interrogating him."

Nikita said the family tried to explain Raj's condition to the officers.

"We spoke to the senior officer and told him to let him go. He had come out for some fresh air. He said, 'Keep him inside, take care of him.' We said, 'Okay, sir, he hasn't said anything to anyone or done anything to anyone.'"

According to the family, Raj tried to calm the situation and apologised. "The officer started talking to him. My brother said 'I'm sorry', but the officer slapped him."

What followed, the family says, was a moment of fear that spiralled out of control.

"Then he came home and said, 'I'm scared the police will take me away, so I'll hide.' After a while, he jumped from the top floor."

Raj died on the spot.

Police were informed and rushed to the scene. Raj was taken to the hospital but was declared dead due to severe injuries. His body was later sent for a postmortem.

Outside the hospital, the grieving family sat through the night in shock.

Raj's father, Manoj Makwana, works as a cook. His mother is a homemaker. His two sisters work nearby, while his brother is employed in a private company. The family lives in an apartment that is part of an IDA government housing scheme.

According to relatives, Raj had been battling health issues for some time and had been largely confined to home for several months.

Police, however, have presented a different sequence of events.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rajesh Dandotiya said that around 2 am, the guard of Tapti Complex informed the beat in-charge that a young man was creating a disturbance. A police response team reached the spot and counselled Raj and his mother.

"The family informed us that the boy was mentally ill and had been under treatment for two years," Dandotiya said. According to police, the team left the spot after counselling the family.

Police say that about 45 minutes later, Raj jumped from the fifth floor. Officers again reached the spot around 4:07 am and took him to the hospital.

A case has been registered, and the matter is under investigation.

But for the Makwana family, the questions remain painfully simple - how can a brief encounter in the middle of the night end in an irreversible tragedy?