Justice after 15 years: 9 Maharashtra cops get life term for 2011 custodial death
A district sessions court in Maharashtra's Washim has sentenced nine police personnel, including the then station house officer of Risod police station, to life imprisonment
A district sessions court in Maharashtra's Washim has sentenced nine police personnel, including the then station house officer of Risod police station, to life imprisonment in a 15-year-old custodial death case involving a 23-year-old man. The verdict brought closure to a prolonged legal battle fought by the victim's elderly parents. The case dated back to May 10, 2011, when Begya Pawar, a member of the Pardhi community, died while in police custody. According to the prosecution, Pawar had been picked up from his home around 3 am for questioning and was allegedly subjected to brutal assault inside the police station, leading to his death.
He reportedly had no criminal record. Read Full Story Following the incident, Pawar's parents attempted to file a complaint at the same police station. However, they alleged that the complaint was not accepted as it named the then station house officer among the accused. The family, along with members of the Pardhi community, staged protests demanding the registration of the case and an impartial investigation. A medical examination found multiple fractures on Pawar's body, strengthening allegations of custodial torture. The investigation was later handed over to the Maharashtra CID, where the investigating officer conducted a detailed probe and filed a chargesheet alleging that the victim had been severely beaten while in police custody.
After hearing the case for nearly 15 years, the Washim District and Sessions Court convicted all nine accused police personnel and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The convicts include the then Risod police station in-charge, Mahadev Manik Dhande, and eight other policemen. Two of the convicted officers, including Dhande, have since retired from service. Following the verdict, all nine convicts were lodged in Washim jail and are expected to be shifted to Amravati jail after completion of the required formalities. Reacting to the judgment, Pawar's elderly parents said they had finally "received justice after waiting for 15 years".
His mother thanked the court, the prosecution, and the CID investigation team, maintaining that her son had committed no crime and had been taken away by police for questioning before the family was informed of his death the following morning. Ends (With inputs from Zaka Khan.)
The BriefWire