The death of Wahid alias Bhayyu Lala, a history-sheeter from Surjani village in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, has triggered allegations of custodial violence, with his family accusing the police of beating him to death during a raid on February 18.
Police have denied the allegations and maintained that Wahid died of suffocation after hiding inside a bed box during the operation.
Family Alleges Beating During Police Raid
According to family members, a police team of around 20 to 25 personnel arrived at Wahid’s house at about 6:10 pm and remained there until nearly 7:50 pm. They claimed that police vehicles were parked near both the main entrance and the back door, effectively blocking the exits.
The family said Wahid was speaking to his lawyer at the time and was planning to surrender in court the following day. They alleged that police officers forcibly entered the house, dragged him into a room, and locked it.
Soon after, screams were heard from inside the room, relatives claimed. Women and children present in the house were allegedly confined to separate rooms. The family also accused the police of seizing CCTV cameras and the DVR installed at the residence.
One relative said that when they were finally allowed to enter the room, Wahid was found unconscious with blood coming from his mouth and visible injury marks on his body. He was later declared dead.
“My father had a few cases against him, most of which were not true. He was going to surrender in court. Although he paid money, the police killed him,” his son Shahid alias Sherdil alleged.
The family further claimed that police officers had earlier demanded Rs 10 lakh, out of which they allegedly paid Rs 6 lakh to ensure a safe surrender. They also alleged that minor children in the house were threatened not to contradict the police version.
Police Deny Charges, Call Death Accidental
Rejecting the allegations, Sitamau SDOP Dinesh Prajapati said the death was accidental.
“Wahid concealed himself in a bed box when the raid took place. He died of suffocation. The team left when they could not find him,” Prajapati said. He added that police later received information about Wahid’s death through the 112 emergency number.
Police records show that Wahid had 19 criminal cases registered against him in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. These included charges of dacoity, attempted murder, arms offences and drug trafficking.
Officials claimed he was a key figure in an MD drug cartel operating in the Mandsaur Neemuch area and was wanted in connection with a recent drug bust in Mumbai and Thane.
Post Mortem Report Awaited
Following the incident, the family insisted that the post-mortem examination should not be conducted in Sitamau or Mandsaur. The administration accepted the request.
The post-mortem report is awaited and is expected to clarify whether Wahid died due to suffocation, as claimed by police, or from injuries allegedly sustained during the raid.
