Rahul Gandhi meets kin of man who died in judicial custody after Parbhani violence

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi meets family of Somnath Suryavanshi who allegedly died in police custody following violence, in Parbhani district, Maharashtra. (Pic/PTI)

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Monday met the family of Somnath Suryavanshi, who died in judicial custody following violence in Maharashtra's Parbhani city earlier this month, reported news agency PTI.

A glass-encased replica of Constitution near Dr B R Ambedkar's statue outside the railway station in Parbhani, located in Marathwada region, was vandalised on the evening of December 10, which led to violent incidents in the region.

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Suryawanshi, a resident of Shankar Nagar in Parbhani, was among more than 50 persons arrested in connection with the violence, reported PTI.

He was rushed to state-run hospital after he complained of chest pain and uneasiness while he was in judicial custody and lodged at the Parbhani district central prison. He died on December 15 at the hospital, police said.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a judicial probe into the Parbhani violence.

Recently, Fadnavis stated in the Maharashtra assembly that Suryavanshi had told a magistrate that he was not tortured and the CCTV footage also doesn't show any evidence of brutality, stated PTI.

State BJP chief and revenue minister Chandrashekar Bawankule has termed Gandhi's visit as a "drama".

Sharad Pawar calls Fadnavis to discuss Parbhani violence and Beed sarpanch's murder

Sharad Pawar, the president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-Supremo), engaged in a telephonic discussion with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday, addressing concerns regarding the murder of a sarpanch in Beed and the death of a man following violent protests in Parbhani.

Pawar, who visited the families of both victims on Saturday, sought accountability and swift action. According to PTI, he met the relatives of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, who was abducted and brutally murdered on December 9.

He also visited the family of Somnath Suryavanshi, who allegedly died while in judicial custody after being arrested in connection with the Parbhani unrest.

Speaking to reporters in Pune on Sunday, Pawar revealed that he had raised the matter during a telephonic conversation with the chief minister. "I discussed the gravity of the situation in Beed and Parbhani with the chief minister and urged him to take appropriate action," he stated, as per PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)