The CBI on Wednesday filed a first information report (FIR) against 10 Wadala Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel in connection with the alleged custodial death of Agnello Valdaris.
On April 18, Agnello, an alleged suspect in a theft case, died in the custody of the Wadala GRP. While the police claimed that he was run over by a train when he was trying to flee from the custody, his father and co-accused alleged that Agnello was tortured to death in the custody.
The 10 suspended policemen have been booked under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code including that of murder and criminal conspiracy and the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
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In their complaint to the Maharashtra DGP, two co-accused, including a minor, alleged that they were hung upside down, stripped, beaten with sticks and belts and even forced to perform oral sex on each other.
The victim’s father, Leonard Valdaris, too lodged a complaint with the police claiming that his son was tortured to death.
They then moved the Bombay High Court demanding that the case be probed by the CBI. The court on Tuesday directed the agency to investigate the case.
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The CBI has so far recorded the statements of the victim’s father and the co-accused. It is in the process of procuring the CCTV footage of the lock-up where the victim was detained.
A senior CBI officer told The Hindu that statements of other personnel attached to the Wadala police station would be recorded soon.