A complaint submitted to the Pune police commissioner alleges that 31-year-old Akash Devdas Ghalot was assaulted at Lohgaon police station before his death during treatment, while Lohgaon police have denied that any such incident took place. The conflicting accounts make an independent examination of the medical records, station documentation and available CCTV footage central to establishing what happened.
According to the report by Civic Mirror – Pune, Ghalot was called to Lohgaon police station on 5 October. His mother, Geeta Ghalot, alleged in a written complaint that Ghalot told his family before his death that Senior Police Inspector Manisha Patil, Assistant Police Inspector Santosh Shinde and other personnel had beaten him with a stick and belt and kicked him. The complaint does not by itself establish that the alleged assault occurred.
The complaint states that Ghalot’s health deteriorated suddenly on 8 October and that he was admitted to Sassoon Hospital. On the morning of 9 October, he allegedly told his mother and sister about the assault at the police station. The family’s complaint says he also claimed that he had been threatened with imprisonment if he disclosed the incident to anyone. Ghalot died at about noon the same day, according to the report.
Ghalot’s mother subsequently approached the police commissioner seeking an investigation into the cause of death and the alleged assault. She asked that the inquiry be conducted by a senior police officer not connected with Lohgaon police station. The complaint also seeks legal action against those found responsible after the facts are established.
The family has specifically requested that CCTV footage from inside the police station, its entrance and the surrounding premises on 5 October be secured immediately. It has also sought the preservation and examination of the station diary, duty register, attendance records and other available electronic evidence. These records could help establish whether Ghalot was present at the station, which personnel were on duty and what movements were recorded during the relevant period.
The complaint further asks for an impartial review of Sassoon Hospital’s treatment records, medical reports and post-mortem report. It seeks the recording of statements from family members and other witnesses regarding what Ghalot allegedly said before his death. The family has also requested protective measures to prevent pressure from being placed on complainants or witnesses.
Civic Mirror – Pune reported that Lohgaon police rejected the allegations when contacted by the publication. The police said that no such incident had occurred. The supplied report does not provide the text of a formal police statement, details of an independent inquiry, a medical conclusion linking the death to any alleged assault, or confirmation of a registered criminal case.
The family has warned that it may defer the funeral and hold a peaceful protest outside Lohgaon police station if immediate action is not taken. It has demanded an impartial inquiry, registration of an offence against those responsible and arrests if legally warranted. Those demands remain requests made in the complaint and are not findings against any police officer.
The next authoritative developments would include confirmation of whether an independent investigation has been ordered, whether a case has been registered, and what the medical and post-mortem records establish. The preservation and examination of CCTV footage, station records and witness statements will be important to resolving the disputed account.
