J&K custodial death: School teacher may have died due to 'multiple injuries', finds initial probe

Mar 21 (AZINS) A 28-year-old school teacher Rizwan Pandit, who died in police custody in Srinagar two days ago, had ‘multiple injuries’, initial probe in the matter has found.

According to a report in the Indian Express, Pandit may have died due to “multiple injuries” during the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.

Initial findings reveal that Rizwan died because of “extravasation of blood”, the report said. Extravasation of blood is the leakage of blood from a vessel into the surrounding tissues and is caused by injuries or burns.

“The blood loss in soft tissues due to multiple injuries was extensive internally, and this must have led to irreversible shock,” an official was quoted as saying by the daily. “There was no blunt injury or damage to the internal organs,” he said.

The official ruled out heart attack and said that a “roller” may have been applied over his legs, causing the veins and arteries to rupture.

A resident of Awantipora in Pulwama district, Pandit was arrested in connection with a terror case and was picked up by the security agencies last week. The state administration has ordered a magisterial probe into Pandit's death while police have ordered a separate inquiry into the matter.

The National Conference on Wednesday asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to clarify whether the youth was in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) or state police at the time of his death.

"Whether the youth was in the custody of NIA or police, the responsibility lies at the door of the governor. The young teacher was in the custody of the state," NC chief spokesman Aga Roohullah told reporters here.

"Initial reports said he was in NIA custody but now the NIA is washing off its hands. Whether it was the NIA or state police, an FIR should be registered so that the culprits can be identified," he said.

National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah has also demanded a time-bound investigation into the custodial death of a school teacher in Jammu and Kashmir and exemplary punishment to those responsible for the death.

"I had hoped custodial deaths were a thing of our dark past. This is an unacceptable development & must be investigated in a transparent, time bound manner. Exemplary punishment must be handed out to the killers of this young man," Abdullah tweeted.

PDP chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the custodial death.

"Innocent men hauled up from their homes for interrogation return home only in coffins now. GoI’s repressive approach leaves young educated men vulnerable who are forced to take up arms. Stop using Kashmir to exhibit your sick chauvinistic nationalism. We have suffered enough," she said in a tweet on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, separatists called for a strike to protest against the custodial death of the youth.

Schools, colleges and universities remained closed due to the strike called by the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), an amalgam of separatist groups, to protest against the death of Rizwan Pandit in police custody on the intervening night of March 18 and 19, officials said.

Shops and other business establishments also remained closed while public transport remained off the roads but a few private vehicles could be seen plying on the city roads, they said.