Nirmal Singh (37) was picked up by Chandigarh Police after he had a brawl with one of his neighbours, Chhinder Kaur, on Wednesday night. Nirmal was later found unconscious on the road. He was hospitalised, where he died after struggling for about 7 to 8 hours.

Admitting negligence on their part, senior officers suspended three police officials today, including ASI Mukh Ram, Head Constable Kuldip Singh and Constable Dharampal.

Nirmal Singh, who, according to the police was picked up in an inebriated state, was taken to GMCH 32 for medical examination on Wednesday night. “Police Control Room vehicle reached the spot after they received a message of a brawl in the area. They brought both Chhinder Kaur and Nirmal Singh to the hospital for medical examination. Our police station team, led by ASI Mukh Ram, went to the hospital and brought Nirmal to the police station. They made him sit in the police station but was left unattended to. He went out of the police station on his own and next morning (last morning), he was found unconscious on the road. He was taken to GMCH-32 again, where he died. The doctors have conducted a post-mortem on him, the report of which is awaited,” said Inspector Harsahai, Station House Officer, Police Station 31.

While talking to Newsline, Jaspal Kaur, wife of Nirmal Singh said, “It is the police who have killed my husband. They are lying that he went out of the police station on his own. In fact, they tortured him so much that when his condition deteriorated, they threw him on the roadside. Who can escape from a police station just like that?”