A day after a 22-year-old theft accused died by suicide inside police custody at the crime branch unit in Farrukhnagar, Gurgaon Police have registered a murder case against unidentified persons and transferred four police personnel pending inquiry.
The deceased has been identified as Asif, a resident of Rampura in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan. He was arrested by the crime branch on Friday in connection with a theft case and was found hanging inside custody later that afternoon.
Murder case registered after family complaint
Following a complaint by Asif’s family, police registered a case of murder against unknown persons. Confirming the development, Gurgaon Police spokesperson Sandeep Kumar said that while a case has been filed, the family has not yet provided material evidence to support allegations of foul play.
Meanwhile, four personnel from the Farrukhnagar crime branch have been transferred to the district police lines as part of administrative action.
Judicial inquiry and autopsy conducted
A judicial inquiry into the custodial death was ordered on Friday. An autopsy was conducted on Saturday in the presence of a judicial magistrate at the Sector 14 mortuary in Gurgaon.
Sources said preliminary findings indicate death due to hanging. However, officials are awaiting key forensic reports, including the ligature material report, viscera analysis and crime scene examination, to rule out any suspicion.
Police deny torture allegations
On Saturday, Asif’s family staged a protest outside the mortuary, alleging that he was tortured to death in custody and demanding strict action against the police personnel involved.
Senior police officials, however, denied the allegations, stating that no injury marks other than those consistent with hanging were found on the body. “He was arrested only a few hours before being lodged in custody. He was served tea and provided a quilt. When the constable stepped away briefly, he allegedly used the quilt cover to hang himself,” a senior officer said.
After several hours of protest, the family agreed to take the body home after being assured of a fair and transparent investigation.
Criminal history cited by police
Police records indicate that Asif had a criminal history, with eight cases registered against him between 2022 and 2025. These include one theft case in Delhi, three cases in Faridabad and four cases in Gurgaon. He was also convicted in four of these cases, officials said.
The incident has once again brought custodial safety, monitoring mechanisms and accountability under scrutiny, with rights groups calling for strict adherence to custodial protocols and independent oversight.