Delhi: An inquiry has been ordered after the death of a man in police custody

A 27-year-old man, who was detained by police after he allegedly stabbed and injured three of his family members in west Delhi, allegedly tried to escape from captivity but fell from the wall of Mayapuri police station and died two days later on November 28, officials familiar with The case was confirmed on Saturday as an alleged case of death in custody.

The deceased was identified as Anshuman Taneja, a resident of Lajwanti Garden. Police said a judicial inquiry was launched into the matter to determine whether there was foul play or negligence on the part of the police officers in whose custody the accused died.

Giving details of the case, the police said that on November 26, around 6 a.m., the police control room received a report about three people who were attacked with a knife at their house in Lajwanti Garden.

The family lives in a four-story building – on the ground floor there are shops, on the first floor Taneja lived with his father Brahm Prakash and mother Sunita, while the second and third floors were occupied by his two uncles. The police revealed the name of only one of the uncles – Ashwini.

A senior police officer said that when the police team reached the building, they saw Taneja brandishing knives in his hands while his mother, father and uncle Ashwini were bleeding on the floor.

Police said Taneja was detained and his family members were taken to hospital.

“The police had to use ropes to grab Anshuman and remove the sharp weapon from his hands. He was first taken to a government hospital for medical examination. Doctors examined him and found that he was in good health and could be taken to the police station for questioning,” the officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“After reaching the police station, Anshuman asked the two policemen accompanying him for water and a cup of tea. They took him to the cafeteria, which is located at the back of the police station. When one of the policemen went to bring tea, Anshuman pushed the other policeman away and tried to jump over the five-foot border wall. He lost his balance and fell, his head hitting a concrete object. He was taken to hospital, where he died of his injuries on November 28, the officer said.

As the accused died in police custody, as per legal procedure, the appropriate judicial officer initiated an investigation.

In a statement, the police said: “All procedures are being followed in the investigation of this case, and family members are kept informed about the progress of the proceedings.”

The family did not want to talk to the media.

Of course, no action has been taken against the two policemen since Saturday.

Meanwhile, the police are also investigating the reason why Taneja attacked his family members.

“Since family members did not provide us with any medical records, we cannot determine whether he was mentally disabled,” said the officer quoted above.