A 24-year-old Dalit man from Bengaluru, who was allegedly beaten while in police custody and later moved to a private rehabilitation centre, died on 26 November under suspicious circumstances. The man, Darshan, had been taken into custody by Viveknagar Police earlier this month. His mother, Adilakshmi, has filed a detailed complaint accusing police officials and the rehab centre of custodial violence, illegal detention, negligence and caste discrimination.
In her complaint, Adilakshmi said Darshan, who struggled with alcohol addiction, was picked up by police on 12 November after an argument near their home. She said officers at Viveknagar Police Station refused to release him or allow her to meet him. According to her, Assistant Sub-Inspector Pawan and two other policemen assaulted Darshan so badly that he could not even walk, and no medical care was given to him despite his worsening condition.
On 15 November, the family was informed that police had shifted Darshan to the Unity Foundation Rehab Centre near Madanayakanahalli. Adilakshmi said the police pressured her to admit him there and demanded ₹2,500 as admission fees. Staff at the centre allegedly told the family every day that Darshan was improving, but they never allowed them to see him.
Everything changed on 26 November when the family received a call saying Darshan had died due to “breathing difficulties”. When they reached the rehab centre, his body was not there. They were later told to go to Nelamangala Government Hospital, where doctors said he had been brought dead. The family noticed injury marks on his chest, back, arms and legs, raising doubts that he had been severely beaten. His body was later taken to Victoria Hospital for a postmortem, where doctors reportedly found several older injuries. The complete report is still awaited.
Following the complaint, Madanayakanahalli Police registered a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and various IPC sections related to assault, wrongful confinement, custodial torture and negligence. The FIR names ASI Pawan, two unidentified police officers and the management of the rehab centre. Police say they are reviewing CCTV footage and medical records as part of the investigation.
Adilakshmi has also alleged that her son was targeted because he belonged to a Scheduled Caste and that upper-caste police personnel mistreated him. Dalit organisations have called for an impartial and transparent investigation, saying the timeline strongly suggests custodial torture disguised as rehabilitation.
Senior police officials say the postmortem findings will play a key role in establishing how Darshan died. They have assured that the investigation will be carried out seriously and that action will follow based on evidence.
