Family Alleges Custodial Torture After Elderly Muslim’s Death in India’s Gujarat
Shaikh died within hours of being taken into custody, and relatives are now demanding a judicial inquiry, saying officers beat him, tortured him, withheld his blood pressure medication, and refused him water.
The death of Shaikh in Ahmedabad has sparked protests outside a local hospital and police station, with relatives refusing to accept his body until a criminal case is registered against the officers they accuse of involvement.
Shaikh, a resident of Juhapura, a Muslim-majority neighborhood in Ahmedabad, had been arrested over allegations linked to an alleged cattle slaughter case earlier this month.
Police in Gujarat claim they recovered around 520 kilograms of “suspected beef” during a raid on 5 May near Sonal Cinema Road in Ahmedabad’s Vejalpur area. Officers said a live calf, weighing scales, vehicles and equipment allegedly used for slaughter were also seized.
Several Muslim men were arrested during the operation, while police alleged that Shaikh and others had fled the scene.
In the days after the raid, videos circulated on social media allegedly showing police officers publicly beating Muslim suspects while tying them to a police vehicle in full public view. The videos, which could not be independently verified, triggered outrage among civil rights activists and local residents, who accused police of humiliating the accused before any trial had taken place.
According to police, Shaikh was first detained on 16 May in connection with a preventive detention matter before later being formally arrested in the cattle slaughter case by Vejalpur Police.
His family says he was already in fragile health and suffered from diabetes.
In most Indian states, the slaughter of cows is either completely banned or heavily restricted; for example, only old or unfit cattle may be slaughtered with certification.
Cow slaughter is not uniformly illegal across India. The laws vary by state because animal slaughter is regulated mainly by state governments.
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Penalties for illegal cow slaughter can include fines and imprisonment, and in some states the punishments are very severe.
For many Hindus, the cow is considered sacred or deeply revered because of its association with nourishment, non-violence and religious symbolism. Since Hinduism is the majority religion in India, protection of cows became a longstanding social and political demand.
Family’s claims
Speaking to the media, Shaikh’s son, Tofik Sheikh, accused police of “killing” his father in custody.
“This is a custodial murder; they killed my father,” he said.
“He was a patient with diabetes. Without considering his medical condition, they took him into custody in a false case and beat him inside the police station.”
Tofik alleged that the family was denied proper access to Zaheer while he was in custody and claimed police failed to provide him with medicines prescribed by doctors.
“A person with diabetes cannot remain hungry for a long time. They did not give him food or medicines,” he said.
The family also alleges that officers verbally abused the elderly man, pulled his beard during interrogation and assaulted him despite his age and medical condition.
Advocate Nauman Ghanchi, who is representing the family, alleged that Shaikh described the assault in a recorded statement before his death and named certain police personnel.
A video reportedly filmed shortly before his death has also spread online, showing Shaikh appearing weak and semi-conscious while alleging that a police constable gave him a drink during custody. Ahmedabad Police have denied all allegations of custodial violence.
Assistant Commissioner of Police A.B. Valand described the claims as “baseless” and said Shaikh’s health deteriorated after he consumed medication brought by his wife during a visit to the police station.
Police say he had pre-existing medical conditions, including diabetes, and was transferred for treatment when his condition worsened. He later died while undergoing treatment at Ahmedabad’s SVP Hospital.
Authorities have announced an internal inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his death. It remains unclear whether a separate FIR has been registered against any police personnel.
However, activists and Muslim community leaders have questioned the police version of events.
Mujahid Nafees, convener of the Minority Coordination Committee, said serious questions remained unanswered.
“If police are claiming his wife was able to meet him and give him medicine while he was in custody, that itself raises questions about police procedures and accountability,” he said.
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He also referred to the videos allegedly showing police publicly beating suspects after the cattle slaughter raid.
The family has demanded a judicial inquiry, arguing that an internal probe is insufficient given the seriousness of the allegations.
The case has once again drawn attention to allegations of anti-Muslim policing and vigilante violence linked to cow slaughter accusations in India.
Under laws in several Indian states, including Gujarat, cow slaughter is banned and carries severe criminal penalties. Rights groups have long accused authorities and Hindu nationalist groups of disproportionately targeting Muslims and Dalits under such laws.
As protests continued outside Vejalpur Police Station on Friday, Tofik Sheikh said the family would continue their sit-in until a formal complaint against the officers was registered.
“In his dying declaration, my father clearly described what he suffered in police custody,” he said.
“I will not move an inch until there is a fair investigation.”
Source: 5pillarsuk.com
