Srinagar: An army soldier who was arrested on Tuesday by police on charges of running a fake currency racket allegedly committed suicide in police custody in this capital city here on Thursday.
Quoting official sources, a local news agency GNS reported that Muneer Ahmad Manhas, son of Nazir Ahmad of Kamalkote, a resident of Uri, was arrested by a team from Ram Munshi Bagh police station from 161 battalion unit of Territorial Army on Tuesday evening. Muneer, who was currently posted with army’s intelligence wing, was brought to Srinagar’s Ram Munshi Bagh police station where a senior police official last evening grilled him for his alleged involvement in running a fake currency racket. On Thursday morning, the solider was found dead in the lockup.
“Muneer, the prime accused in the fake currency racket was found hanging inside the Police Station Ram Munshi Bagh. He had used a pair of socks to hang himself by tying them with one another,” a police spokesman said.
“The deceased was working in Territorial Army,” the spokesman added.
The spokesman said that Tehsildar Srinagar has started inquest proceedings in this regard. He said that the Principal Medical College has constituted a team of doctors for conducting post-mortem in presence of Magistrate.
A senior police official told GNS that police team from Ram Munshi Bagh was investigating a fake currency under FIR No. 29/2014 under section 489 ABC, 420 RPC subsequently they picked up the TA jawan for further investigation.
“Besides Muneer, police had also arrested a travel agent from Dalgate in this regard,” the official said.
However, the family refuted the police version alleging that Muneer was killed by cops in custody.
“He (Muneer) didn’t commit suicide. He had no reason to do so.
Suicide is committed by the men who are depressed or unhappy with life. He was mentally and financially fit,” Shabir Ahmad, a close relative said.
“It is a murder. Police has killed him in custody and passed off his killing as a simple suicide case. We don’t trust police version,” he added.
TA trooper ‘commits suicide’ in police custody, family alleges murder added by Reader correspondent on
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