Mangaluru: The Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) National President P B D’Sa urged to conduct a speedy investigation into the custodial death of Dakshina Kannada PUCL’s district former president of David D’Souza failing which, he cautioned of holding a massive protest in the coming days.

Addressing reporters here on Friday, September 21, P B D’Sa said, ”In spite of 39 months since the custodial death of David D’Souza, an inquiry is still pending. The police have failed to register an FIR against the accused police inspector, Pramod Kumar who was the sub-inspector of Mangaluru Rural Police Station, at the time of the incident. Though we have demanded an inquiry by an IPS level officer as per the circular of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), it has not been initiated so far. However, we have been informed that the case has been handed over to CBI. But, no action is visible from the government’s end”, he said.

No post-mortem report received yet

P B D’Sa said, “The NHRC clearly says that as long as the death occurred due to police action and that too in the station premises, an FIR has to be raised, against the police official concerned. However, no action was taken against the police officer. Though we have applied for receiving post-mortem report to find the exact cause of death, we did not get the report till the date”, he said and added that PUCL would intensify its protest until the justice was delivered.

The incident

The incident occurred at Mangaluru Rural Police Station on July 2, 2015, wherein the then district president of PUCL David D’Souza had been to the police station along with one Stany Fernandes, who was allegedly attacked by some miscreants on the instruction of his own wife and son. When the police called Stany to enquire about the case, he informed David D’Souza and asked him to go along with him to the police station. When both had been to the police station, police sub-inspector Pramod Kumar allegedly assaulted David on the pretext of inquiry. As he collapsed and died at the police station, the leaders of PUCL claimed that David was murdered at the police station and it was a custodial death. However, inspector Pramod Kumar rubbished the allegation, saying that David had collapsed before he was questioned and died.

PUCL District Secretary Kishore Attavar, former secretary Bertram Pinto, other members Melwin Pinto, Jerome Pinto, Haneef among others were present.