Rape Accused Dies By Suicide In Police Custody In Nagpur

A police team from Maharashtra's Nagpur had recently rescued a minor girl from Prayagraj and arrested the 19-year-old accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for kidnapping and sexually assaulting her. The accused, Nagendrakumar Bhartiya, is now dead. Bhartiya reportedly committed suicide in police custody on Thursday, triggering a major stir.

The Court had remanded Bhartiya to two days of police custody. Due to the cold weather, he had been provided with a bedsheet for the night. The initial investigation suggests that Bhartiya tore the same sheet and used it to hang himself. He reportedly brought a bin from the toilet to stand on and hang himself.

Bhartiya, a final-year BSc student, had contacted the minor girl from Nagpur's Jaripatka area through Instagram. After befriending her through chatting, he lured her into a relationship and proposed marriage. In December, he visited Nagpur to meet her and also allegedly raped her. He returned a week ago to elope with her.

Following a technical investigation, the police tracked the two Prayagraj. Upon their return to Nagpur, the court remanded the accused to two days of police custody.

Key Questions Before The CID Investigation

It was the responsibility of the police personnel on duty to monitor Bhartiya, who was in custody for serious offences like kidnapping and POCSO. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will now have to focus on several critical questions, such as:

• How did the police not notice when Bhartiya tore the sheet and tied it to the lock-up bars?
• How did the accused manage to move to the toilet, bring a bin, and use it as a stool without being seen by the guards?

It is reported that the 19-year-old was terrified following his arrest. The CID is likely to question the officers on duty about his state of mind that night and how he could have died by suicide.

The CID team has begun its probe and has seized the station diary, CCTV footage, and other relevant evidence from the police station. Meanwhile, his parents, who reached Nagpur, appeared devastated by the news. His mother collapsed in front of the police station, and the parents have levelled serious allegations against the police.