Bengaluru: The death of a Congolese citizen in police custody in India’s Bengaluru city speaks volumes about brutality and human rights violations committed by Indian police.
According to a research report, Joel Shindani Malu, a Congolese student died in custody after he was falsely detained by police in Bengaluru city on Sunday (1 August 2021). He died in the police custody the next day.
The report said, at least six Africans were injured after the Congolese man’s custodial death sparked protests outside the police station in Bengaluru city. The police used batons to push back the protesters and also arrested a dozen demonstrators. The protesters were members of the “Pan African Federation”, a group set up to protect the rights of African students and professionals in the city.
The report said the African demonstrators refuted the police claim that Malu had died of cardiac arrest and said that the police had falsely detained him. The police had claimed that Malu was arrested over charges of possessing a small cache of banned psychotropic ecstasy pills but died in custody after suffering cardiac arrest.
The report maintained that the nationals of African countries often accuse Indian police of racial bias and harassment as they face daily discrimination at the hands of police in India. The Indian police routinely detain nationals of African countries over fabricated charges, it deplored.
The report said, custodial torture in police stations in India is a common practice as police brutality, torture and extrajudicial killings surface now and then across India. Killings in police custody mostly go unpunished in India, it added.
The report further said majority of the victims of police brutalities are Muslims and lower-caste Hindus and that the world rights bodies have often raised concerns over rising cases of deaths in police custody across India. Web Desk
