29-year-old man dies of 'breathing problem' in police lockup

Surat, Mar 11: A 29-year-old man, who was detained for a drunken brawl, died in a police lockup after allegedly suffering from a 'breathing problem' in Gujarat's Surat city on Wednesday, police said.

Vimal Yadav, a factory worker, was held under preventive detention at Pandesara police station since Tuesday evening, after the police received a call about his involvement in a drunken brawl, an official said.

On Wednesday morning, when Vimal told officials at the station that he was having difficulty breathing, they did not take him seriously, the deceased's brother Vinay Yadav alleged.

Even after Vimal's family informed the police about his breathing problem, the officials refused to take him to a hospital on time, resulting in his death, he claimed. When Vimal was finally rushed to a civil hospital, he was declared brought dead, he said.

A case of accidental death was registered and a probe will be carried out to ascertain police negligence, deputy commissioner Vidhi Chaudhary said.