Six Cops Suspended After Custodial Death of Man in Bihar

The Suspension

Six police personnel in Bihar's West Champaran district have been suspended after a man named Dilshad Ansari died in police custody. West Champaran Superintendent of Police Kumar Gautam ordered the suspension of the Sahodra police station house officer, a sub-inspector, three constables, and a driver constable.

The Arrest And Police Account

Ansari was arrested on October 12 from Banuchhapar in connection with a case registered on August 2, 2025, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act at Sahodra police station. Police claimed that while he was being taken back to Sahodra, he jumped from the moving police vehicle in the Shikarpur police station area and suffered serious injuries. He was taken to a sub-divisional hospital in Narkatiaganj and later referred to the Government Medical College and Hospital in Bettiah, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. An officer stated that legal proceedings are underway to ensure an impartial investigation following National Human Rights Commission guidelines.

Family Claims

Ansari's family has disputed the police version of events and accused officers of assaulting him in custody. His father, Akbar Ansari, stated that police took his son away from their home at 2 am on October 12 for questioning, promising to return him in the morning. His wife, Nagma Khatoon, said around 20 police personnel in two vehicles arrived at their house while the family was asleep and surrounded the property. The family was later called to the hospital and told Ansari was critical, only to find he had already died. They are demanding a government job, financial compensation, and punishment for the responsible officers.

Context

Custodial death allegations in India often lead to immediate administrative suspensions of local police staff pending judicial or departmental inquiries. Such cases typically trigger strict oversight procedures by human rights bodies to examine the exact sequence of events between a suspect's detention and their hospital arrival.