Gangtok, July 29: Three police officers have been suspended immediately after the custodial death of 55-year-old Purney Darjee at Singtam Police Station. The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Gangtok has ordered a judicial inquiry to investigate the circumstances of the incident.
Darjee was recently arrested under the Sikkim Anti Drugs Act (SADA) on drug peddling charges and was in police custody when the incident happened.
Preliminary information indicates that the incident occurred on the morning of July 29. Police reported that Darjee allegedly died by suicide after using a strip torn from a blanket to hang himself inside the police station.
Following the incident, Sikkim Police suspended three officers while awaiting the inquiry’s outcome. The Chief Judicial Magistrate of Gangtok has started a judicial inquiry in line with the necessary procedure for custodial deaths.
The exact cause of death and the timeline of events leading to the incident will be established as part of the ongoing investigation.
