Bihar: Accused of murder for 30 years, dies in custody hours after arrest; Family alleges torture

The deceased, Krishna Bhagwan Jha alias Tunna Jha, was arrested by Bihar police on Tuesday in a 30-year-old murder case and died in custody during the intervening night.

Bihar News: A murder accused man arrested by Bihar police in the state's Samastipur district after being at large for 30 years, died in police custody under mysterious circumstances hours after his arrest. The family of the 55-year-old deceased claims that the man was tortured by the police while in custody, leading to his death.

The deceased, identified as Krishna Bhagwan Jha alias Tunna Jha, was arrested by the police on Tuesday in a three-decade-old murder case and died in police custody on the intervening night, hours after his arrest.

After his death, Jha's family members and locals staged a protest near the district hospital on Tuesday evening demanding action against the erring staff. The protesters alleged that Jha was beaten up by the police personnel during his custody, which led to his death.

Meanwhile, police have dismissed the allegations, stating that Tunna Jha's condition started deteriorating soon after he was arrested and he died on the intervening night of Tuesday to Wednesday.

A senior police official said the body has undergone a post-mortem and the cause of death can be determined only after the report is received.

“The cause of death can be determined only after the post-mortem examination report is out,” Assistant Superintendent of Police Sanjay Pandey told reporters, according to news agency PTI.

“After being informed about the incident, I along with other officials reached the hospital and spoke to the victim's family and locals. The situation was brought under control and the body was sent for post-mortem examination,” the ASP told reporters.

Giving details, the official said Jha was arrested by police from his home on Tuesday evening following a tip-off that the suspect was living in Sarairanjan area.

Soon after his arrest, Jha's condition started to deteriorate after which he was taken to a nearby hospital, an official from Sarairanjan police station said.

“He was taken to Sarairanjan police station. After some time, his condition began to deteriorate. He was taken to the district hospital where he was declared dead on arrival,” the official said.

(With PTI inputs)