Pune: Bhosari Resident Arrested in Parbhani Riots Dies in Judicial Custody
Pune/Parbhani, 16th December 2024: A 35-year-old man from Bhosari in Pimpri Chinchwad, arrested in connection with one of seven cases of rioting and arson in Parbhani following the desecration of a replica of the Constitution, passed away in judicial custody on Sunday morning.
The deceased, identified as Somnath Vyankat Suryavanshi, was reportedly pursuing a law degree at a Parbhani-based college and had recently traveled to the city to appear for his final exams.
Yashant Kale, the officiating superintendent of police (SP) in Parbhani, stated, “We have written to the law college to officially confirm if Suryavanshi was enrolled as a student.” During his arrest, Suryavanshi had identified himself as a worker living in a rented apartment in the Shankarnagar area of Parbhani’s Mondha locality.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Nanded Range, Shahaji Umap, said “Around early Sunday morning, Suryavanshi complained of severe chest pain while in custody. The jail authorities promptly took him to the district civil hospital, where doctors examined him and declared him dead.”
Suryavanshi was one of several individuals arrested on December 11 following violent protests in Parbhani. He was accused of participating in acts of rioting and arson triggered by the desecration incident.
SP Kale elaborated on the sequence of events: “Suryavanshi and others were presented before a court on Thursday, which remanded them to two days of police custody. On Saturday, they were transferred to judicial custody and subsequently shifted to the district jail.”
Dr. Shivaji Sukre, Dean of the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Parbhani, confirmed that a detailed post-mortem examination would be conducted. “A team of senior doctors, including experts from the forensic and toxicology departments, will perform an in-camera autopsy to ascertain the cause of death,” he said.
