A 31-year-old Pune man died during treatment at Sassoon General Hospital on October 9, days after visiting Lohgaon police station over a neighbourhood dispute, prompting his family to allege that he was assaulted by police personnel and seek an independent investigation.
The deceased, Akash Devdas Ghalot, had visited the police station on October 5 after cross non-cognisable complaints were registered between neighbours and housing society members on October 3. His mother, Geeta Ghalot, submitted a complaint to the Pune police commissioner on October 9, alleging that Ghalot told her and his sister before his death that senior police inspector Manisha Patil, assistant police inspector Santosh Shinde and other personnel had beaten him with sticks and belts and kicked and punched him.
According to the complaint, Ghalot’s health deteriorated on October 8 and he was admitted to Sassoon Hospital. The complaint states that he disclosed the alleged assault to his mother and sister on the morning of October 9, saying he had earlier remained silent because he had allegedly been threatened with imprisonment if he spoke about the incident. He died at around noon the same day.
Police have disputed the allegation. DCP (Zone 7) Abinash Kumar said the matter began with a dispute between neighbours and housing society members, and that the complaints registered on October 3 were non-cognisable. Because of that classification, he said, there was no question of taking the parties into custody or arresting them. The individuals had visited the station to lodge complaints and record their statements, Kumar said.
The DCP said CCTV cameras recorded the movements of the people who visited the station on October 5, and that family members and other society residents were present at the time. He also said Ghalot was admitted to hospital with complaints of a throat infection and elevated blood sugar levels. Medical records at Sassoon Hospital refer to those conditions, according to the police.
Kumar further said that no external injuries were found during the inquest proceedings or postmortem examination. The postmortem was conducted with videography in the presence of the deceased’s relatives, he said. The final postmortem report has not yet been received, and further legal procedures are underway.
The family has asked for an investigation by an independent senior police officer who was not associated with Lohgaon police station. Its complaint seeks preservation of CCTV footage from inside the station, its entrance and surrounding areas for October 5, along with station diary entries, duty registers, attendance records and other electronic evidence.
The family has also requested scrutiny of Ghalot’s medical records and postmortem findings, and statements from witnesses who may have information about the alleged assault. It has sought protection for family members and witnesses from possible pressure or intimidation, and called for a criminal case and legal action against anyone found responsible. The family has also threatened to protest outside Lohgaon police station. The final postmortem report and the proposed examination of station records remain the next stated steps in the matter.
