FIR filed against policeman in custodial death case

Panaji, Feb 9 (PTI) The city crime branch today registered a first information report (FIR) against several police officials attached to Panaji police station in a custodial death case. Police spokesman Atmaram Deshpande said the FIR under section 302 (murder) and section 201 read with 34 (destroying evidence) has been filed against police officers, who were on duty when the deceased Cypriano Fernandes, an NRI, was in the police custody. Fernandes was arrested on January 7 for allegedly threatening his lady friend and died a day later while in police custody. Deshpande said the police department has received Sub Divisional Magistrate's (SDM) inquiry report based on which the FIR has been filed. "Police Inspector Braz Menezes will investigate the case," he said adding that no one has been named in the FIR and names would be added only after investigation. "At present, all the officers who were on duty right from the time Cypriano was brought in Panaji police custody till he died are being investigated," Deshpande said. Eye witnesses in the police station had claimed that Fernandes was assaulted in the custody. The postmortem on his body had confirmed that he died due to head injuries which he suffered while in custody. Three policemen � inspector Sandesh Chodankar, sub inspector Radhesh Ramnathkar and head constable Sandip Shirvaikar, have been suspended for procedural lapses in this case. Preliminary inquiry by sub divisional magistrate Bousette Silva had established that no proper procedures were followed during the arrest of Fernandes.