Police 'killed' Dalit man, alleges Rahul in Parbhani; CM Fadnavis says visit politically motivated

PARBHANI: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday met the family of Parbhani resident Somnath Suryavanshi, who died in judicial custody after being held for violence in the city in central Maharashtra, and later said he was "killed" because he was a Dalit and protecting the Constitution.

Parbhani witnessed violence after a glass-enclosed replica of the Constitution near Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s statue outside the city's railway station was vandalised on December 10. Suryavanshi (35), a resident of Shankar Nagar, was among more than 50 persons arrested in connection with the violence, and later died at a state-run hospital after falling ill, police have said.

Police "killed" Suryavanshi, and it was a ''cent per cent custodial death", Gandhi alleged after meeting his family members in Parbhani in the Marathwada region.

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, talking to reporters later, said Suryavanshi's family members showed him the post-mortem report, as well as some photographs and videos.

Suryavanshi died on December 15 at a state-run hospital where he was rushed after complaining of chest pain and uneasiness while in judicial custody and lodged at the Parbhani district central prison, as per police.

The state government has ordered a judicial probe into the Parbhani violence.

Gandhi said, ''The youth was killed because he was a Dalit and protecting the Constitution. This is a cent per cent custodial death. The police have murdered him. The chief minister lied in the assembly to give a message to the police. The RSS ideology is to wipe out the Constitution."

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in the assembly last week that Suryavanshi had told a magistrate that he was not tortured in custody and CCTV footage also doesn't show any evidence of police brutality.

Gandhi demanded that those who killed the man be punished swiftly.

"This is not politics, there has been a murder and action has to be taken," the Congress MP insisted.

Asked who was responsible for the Parbhani violence, Gandhi said, "Certain ideology is responsible for this and since the chief minister has spoken, he, too, is responsible."

Later, Gandhi also met the family of local resident Vijay Wakode, who died during a protest in Parbhani following the violence.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio, hit out at Gandhi and said his visit to Parbhani was "only for political reasons" and to "create hatred".

Speaking to reporters in Pune on the sidelines of an event, Fadnavis said, "Rahul Gandhi came only for political reasons. His job is to create hatred among people. We are investigating all cases. The matter is in court."

"If it is proved that the death occurred due to police assault, then no one will be spared," the CM assured.