Darshan
A 24-year-old Dalit man died in a rehabilitation center after being allegedly beaten to death during police custody in Bengaluru.
Darshan, who died on November 26, was an alcoholic and often picked fights.
According to his mother, Adilakshmi, police officers from the Viveknagar station took him into custody on November 12 after a brawl with his neighbour.
The mother alleged that she was not allowed to see or meet her son. In her police complaint, she has named assistant sub-inspector Pawan and two other policemen for brutally assaulting her son to the extent that he was unable to walk. There was no medical care provided despite his deteriorating condition.
Three days later, on November 15, police informed the Dalit family that Darshan was being shifted to the Unity Foundation Rehab Centre near Madanayakanahalli. “The police pressured me to admit my son there and demanded Rs 2,500 as admission fees. After admitting, we were told by the staff present that Darshan’s health was improving, but we never saw him,” she said in her complaint.
Then, on November 26, Adilakshmi’s world came crashing down after she received the news of her son’s passing, due to “breathing difficulties.”
When the family arrived at the rehab centre, they found that his body was missing. They were later directed to the Nelamangala government hospital, where doctors informed them that Darshan had been brought dead.
The family noticed injury marks on his chest, back, arms and legs, raising suspicions that he had been assaulted. His body was subsequently shifted to Victoria Hospital for a post-mortem, where doctors reportedly found several older injuries as well.
The Madanayakanahalli police registered a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and various IPC sections related to assault, wrongful confinement, custodial torture and negligence.
Adilakshmi has also alleged that her son was targeted because he belonged to a Scheduled Caste and that upper-caste police personnel mistreated him. Dalit organisations have called for an impartial and transparent investigation, saying the timeline strongly suggests custodial torture disguised as rehabilitation.
This post was last modified on November 30, 2025 8:42 pm