Three Police Officers Suspended After Custodial Death at Singtam Police Station
Three officers were suspended after a 55-year-old man died in custody at Singtam Police Station. A judicial inquiry has been ordered by the Chief Judicial Mag
Three police personnel were suspended immediately after a custodial death at Singtam Police Station in East Sikkim. The incident involved a 55-year-old man, Purney Darjee, who died while in police custody.
According to authorities, Darjee was arrested on drug peddling charges under the Sikkim Anti Drugs Act. He was reported to have died during the morning hours of July 29, while still inside the police station.
Judicial inquiry ordered into circumstances
The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Gangtok has ordered a judicial inquiry to examine the circumstances of the death and the sequence of events leading up to it. Sikkim Police suspended three officers as part of their departmental action, with the inquiry expected to clarify the facts.
Police said Darjee allegedly died by suicide after using a strip torn from a blanket to hang himself inside the police station. The department also stated that Darjee’s family was informed by a senior officer and was allowed to view the body.
Charges and remand details
In an official press note, the Senior Superintendent of Police said Darjee had been arrested in connection with offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, and the Sikkim Anti Drugs Act, 2006. Police custody was granted by a competent court between July 25 and July 29, after which Darjee was found dead inside the lock-up in the early hours of July 29.
The same press note also mentioned that the department expressed condolences to the bereaved family. The investigation and judicial inquiry are aimed at establishing the exact cause of death and whether the police account matches the events that unfolded inside the station.
The feed also recounted earlier Singtam custody-related deaths, including a 2007 case involving Bikram Vishwakarma and a 2016 case involving Sujit Pandey, both of which had raised concerns around custodial deaths and allegations of wrongdoing beyond the police version of suicide. Those cases are cited only to show that similar allegations have been raised in the past.
