The postmortem report of a final-year student who died after allegedly being assaulted by two constables in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal has revealed that the death was a result of him being hit by a hard object, and not because of natural or accidental causes, as the police had initially claimed.
Udit Kumar Gaayke (23), who was the brother-in-law of a deputy superintendent of police involved in anti-Maoist operations, was allegedly assaulted by two constables from the Piplani police station in Bhopal on Friday, who had also demanded Rs 10,000 to 'settle the matter'. They beat Gaayke even more when they were not given the money, and he was later rushed to a hospital, where he died.
CCTV footage of the incident, which is now part of the investigation, shows Gaayke being mercilessly beaten with a stick by one of the constables while the other, armed with a gun, looks on.
The short postmortem report accessed by NDTV clearly states that the "manner of death is homicidal" and it was caused by "traumatic hemorrhagic pancreatitis as a result of blunt trauma".
Medical experts NDTV spoke to explained that such trauma occurs when the body is struck forcefully by a hard object, causing internal bleeding and swelling of the pancreas - a rare but deadly injury consistent with violent assault.
The autopsy also reveals "multiple antemortem tram track pattern injuries evident over the body". Experts said this is a distinctive mark left by lathi (stick) blows, which appear as two parallel lines, confirming repeated strikes before death.
Following widespread outrage as well as pressure from Gaayke's family, who protested in front of the Piplani police station on Friday night and demanded justice, a murder case has been registered against the two constables, Santosh Bamaniya and Saurabh Arya. Both policemen had been suspended on Friday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 2) Vivek Singh said, "A case of murder has been registered based on the short postmortem report. The accused will be arrested soon. The detailed report is awaited."
Gaayke's friends Akshat and Dipesh, who were with him on Friday night, told NDTV they were partying in Bhopal's Indrapuri area when police arrived at the spot following complaints of noise and disturbance. Gaayke panicked and tried to run, but was chased down and beaten brutally.
"We could hear the sound of lathis. When he returned, his shirt was torn, and he was in pain," said Akshat. "The cops demanded Rs 10,000 and threatened us with dire consequences if we did not agree."
The friends alleged that when they refused to pay, the officers took Gaayke towards the Piplani police station. Minutes later, they received a call, and Gaayke was found unconscious soon after.
Gaayke was rushed to a nearby police outpost, where officers realised he was the brother-in-law of a senior police officer and immediately took him to a local hospital. He was later referred to AIIMS Bhopal, where doctors declared him dead.
Gaayke was pursuing a degree in cybersecurity from a reputed private college near Bhopal. His father works at the Madhya Pradesh State Electricity Board, his mother is a teacher, and his brother-in-law is a deputy superintendent of police in the anti-Maoist Hawk Force and is posted in Balaghat district.
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