Man's Death Sparks Tension in Nagpur Locality; Locals Say Police Thrashed Him, Cops Deny

Tension prevailed in Pardi area of Nagpur city on Wednesday night following the death of a man, with local residents and relatives alleging that he died after being beaten up by the police as he had rammed his motorcycle into an on-duty police personnel at nakabandi point.

However, the police contested the claim saying the man was riding the motorcycle under the influence of liquor and met with an accident. The incident occurred around 9 pm. After the death of the man, identified as Manoj Haribhau Thawkar, who lived in Pardi, the local residents and his relatives held a protest against police at Bhavani hospital in the city and demanded action against the cops.

A police official said, "Thawkar was going through the Pardi area on a motorcycle. After spotting the police nakabandi, the man suddenly lost control over the vehicle and rammed it into an on-duty police sub-inspector (PSI). As a result, Thawkar fell on the road."

The man was riding the motorcycle under the influence of liquor, the official said, adding that he was taken to the police station, where he fainted. The police then rushed him to Bhavani hospital, where doctors declared him dead, he added.

However, the locals alleged that the man was mercilessly beaten up by the on-duty policemen after the incident at the nakabandi point. He fell unconscious on the spot itself. The man was not responding when he was taken to the police station. Later, the police admitted him to the hospital where doctors declared him dead, they claimed. Hundreds of local residents gathered at the hospital and raised slogans against police.

The locals demanded stern action against the cops responsible for the death. A team of Riot Control Police (RCP) was deployed at the hospital.

Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP) (North Region) Navinchandra Reddy, DCP (zone V) Neelotpal and other officers also visited the spot. A police official said that the exact cause of the death would be ascertained only after checking the CCTV footage. Police said they were trying to pacify the angry mob.

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