Commissioner of Police Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho has ordered an investigation into the death of an 18-year-old boy at Nakasi Police Station.

Brigadier-General Qiliho issued the directive to the Director Internal Affairs, Director of Criminal Investigation Department and Divisional Police Commissioner East.

Vikrant Nand of Farm Road, Nakasi, allegedly took his own life while in custody at the Nakasi Police Station on Thursday.

But his uncle 33-year-old Ravinesh Naidu claimed yesterday that Vikrant had spoken to his mother on Thursday and informed him that the Police officers had brutality beaten him up.

“My sister informed me right after that Vikrant told them about Police beating him up so bad that he was not able to eat or drink anything due to the intensive pain,” Mr Naidu said.

“After 5pm on Thursday, my sister received a call saying Vikrant wanted to eat but did not inform of his death until she reached and heard other officers talk.

“When I reached to the scene, I was informed by three different officers with different responses in relation to his death.

“The first officer said he committed suicide using the sulu he was wearing.

“The second officer said he used a wire and the third officer said he used a rope,” Mr Naidu alleged.

The deceased was the eldest of three siblings and sole breadwinner of the family.

Brigadier-General Qiliho said the post mortem had to be done to determine the cause of death; otherwise the investigations would not be completed.

“I have directed the Director Internal Affairs and Director CID and DPC East that investigations have to be done promptly,” he said.

“From the initial stage we got the Magistrate involved before the body was removed.

“And it is wiser to let the investigations take its course before making further comments.”

Mr Naidu claimed the family had declined for the post-mortem examination.

“We have declined for the post-mortem because I had requested the Police officers to have my personal pathologist during the examination but they refused,” he said.

“We do not know the cause of death and I want our private pathologist to be present to ensure nothing goes wrong.”

Brigadier-General Qiliho said the refusal to conduct the post-mortem was not true.

“A post-mortem has to be done to determine the cause of death, otherwise the investigation will not be completed and all we will do is speculating on the cause of death,” he said.

“The post-mortem has to be done according to law, and we have been in touch with the family after we obtained legal advice.

“But there is no such thing as the mother not wanting the post mortem to be conducted.”

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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