Case primary details

Fact finding date

Case Incident details

Case summary

                         Death of a Dalit laborer in custody under suspicious circumstances

                         =========================================

Place of incident           :   state Bihar , Ps _ kotwa , Dist - East champaran . 

date of first incident     :  29.09.2026 ( severe beating in custody and door of victims )

date of second incident : 04.09.2026 ( Death during treatment at Sadar Hospital, Motihari)

cose of incident            : Refusing to offer a gratuity to the watchman or to provide him with liquor as a

                                     form of extortion.

The incident took place within the jurisdiction of the Kotwa police station in the East Champaran district of Bihar. The deceased, Sudish Ram—son of Mithu and a member of a Scheduled Caste—was a resident of Barharwa Kala village, which falls under the same police station. His economic condition was dire; he supported his family by working as a laborer. On September 29, 2026, the village watchman, Lalan Das, arrived at Sudish Ram’s doorstep accompanied by an associate. Sudish Ram happened to be sitting outside his home at the time. The two men demanded money—as extortion—and liquor from him. When Sudish Ram resisted, they subjected him to such a severe beating right there at his doorstep that he began to bleed from his mouth and nose.When Sudish Ram’s daughter-in-law attempted to intervene, the men subjected her to obscene acts. Upon learning of the incident, the Station House Officer (SHO) of the local Kotwa police station, Mr. Mukesh Kumar, arrived at the scene with his team. He and his officers mistreated Sudish Ram and his family members, directed caste-based slurs at them, and took Sudish Ram to the police station without a warrant or any criminal charge. When Sudish Ram’s son and other villagers requested his release, the police demanded a bribe of fifty thousand rupees; being poor villagers, they were unable to pay such a large sum. It is alleged that they were also threatened with being framed in a false case and sent to jail if the money was not paid.Disappointed, Vikas and his fellow villagers returned home. On the morning of September 30, 2026, Vikas Kumar went to the police station again to see his father. He reported that the police had beaten him severely during the night, and that his condition was poor. The Station House Officer (SHO) completed the necessary paperwork and took Sudish Ram to the government hospital in Kotwa. There, a medical examination was conducted, a fitness certificate was obtained from the doctor, and Sudish Ram was then taken to court, from where he was sent to jail.On the date in question, around midnight, Sudish Ram’s condition in the jail became critical. Observing the gravity of his situation, he was taken to Sadar Hospital, Motihari, for medical treatment. There, too, Sudish Ram was subjected to inhumane treatment; his hands and feet were tied to the hospital bed with ropes. Furthermore, there was gross negligence in his medical care, which ultimately led to his death on October 4, 2026, while he was still undergoing treatment. Both the police and the doctors are now attempting to cover their tracks to shield themselves. The police have shown complete negligence regarding the case. Securing justice for the victims is difficult, as all the accused are government employees—with both police personnel and doctors among those implicated.