A complaint filed by the mother of a 31-year-old man who died after falling ill alleges that he was assaulted at Pune’s Lohgaon police station, while the police have denied that any such incident took place. The competing accounts mean that the cause of death and the alleged assault remain matters for an independent investigation.
According to the complaint reported by Civic Mirror, the deceased, identified as Aakash Devdas Ghalot, was called to Lohgaon police station on 5 October. His mother, Geeta Ghalot, alleged in a written representation to the Pune police commissioner that Aakash later told family members he had been beaten with a stick and belt and kicked by Senior Police Inspector Manisha Patil, Assistant Police Inspector Santosh Shinde and other personnel.
The complaint states that Aakash’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 complaint further claims that he had earlier remained silent because he had allegedly been threatened with imprisonment if he disclosed the incident.
Aakash died at around noon on 9 October, according to the complaint. His mother has asked the police commissioner to establish the precise cause of death, investigate whether the alleged assault occurred and initiate legal action against those responsible if the allegations are substantiated. She has also sought an investigation by a senior police officer who is not connected with Lohgaon police station.
The family has asked authorities to immediately preserve CCTV footage from inside the police station, its entrance and surrounding premises for 5 October. The complaint also seeks the preservation of the station diary, duty roster, attendance records and other available electronic evidence. It calls for an impartial examination of Sassoon Hospital treatment records, medical reports and the post-mortem report.
The complaint asks investigators to record the statements of family members and other witnesses regarding Aakash’s alleged dying disclosure. It also requests protective measures to ensure that the family and witnesses are not subjected to pressure. These requests are allegations and demands made by the complainant; the supplied report does not include the medical, CCTV, station or post-mortem records needed to establish them independently.
Lohgaon police, contacted by Civic Mirror, rejected the allegations and said that no such incident had occurred. The report does not provide a separate police account of Aakash’s movements, the reason he was called to the station, the medical findings or the status of any formal inquiry. It also does not state whether a criminal case, departmental investigation or independent probe had been registered by the time of publication.
The family has warned that it may postpone the funeral and hold a peaceful protest outside Lohgaon police station if immediate action is not taken. The complaint seeks an impartial inquiry, registration of an offence against those found responsible and arrest where legally justified. The next material developments will be the preservation and examination of the requested records, the medical and post-mortem findings, and any formal decision by the police commissioner on an independent investigation.
