Maharashtra court sentences 9 cops to life in 2011 custodial death case, calls assault brutal

Mangalore Today News Network

Washim, Jul 3, 2026: A court in Maharashtra’s Washim district on Thursday sentenced nine police personnel to life imprisonment in a 2011 custodial death case, ruling that their act was "serious and brutal" and not in the line of public duty.

Additional Sessions Judge J P Zapate found all nine accused guilty of murder, wrongful restraint, wrongful confinement, voluntarily causing grievous hurt to extort confession, and causing disappearance of evidence under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The court dismissed the defence’s claims that the personnel were performing their official duties.

"The police officers are protectors of innocent citizens. But they beat Begya Pawar which resulted in his death. Therefore, in this case, their act is not touching to the public duty," the court remarked.

The act committed by the accused was "serious and brutal", the court said while noting that victim was illegally taken into custody, beaten brutally that caused him 44 injuries, resulting in his death.

Therefore, it is the case of death of a victim in police custody, the court ruled.

Those convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment comprise then Risod police station in charge Madhav Dhande as well as personnel Madan Pawar, Shivaji Khillari, Punjab Patkar, Ramesh Pawar, Prakash Taram, Nagorao Khandke, Ashok Vaidya and Vasant Jadhav guilty.

The case relates to the death of one Begya Pawar, who was taken into custody by Risod police in Washim in connection with a probe, public prosecutor Shriram Kalu told PTI.

As per the prosecution, Dhande and his team illegally took Begya Pawar and Raju Pawar into custody from Wadhona village between 3 am and 3:30 am on May 10, 2011.

The duo was brought to Risod police station, where they were subjected to severe physical and mental torture until 6am to extract a confession regarding a dacoity case, the prosecution said. The policemen assaulted the victims using fibre sticks, iron pipes and bamboos.

Due to the severe beating, Begya Pawar’s condition deteriorated rapidly, and he succumbed to his injuries in an ambulance, while Raju Pawar suffered severe fractures to his wrist and leg.

Following Begya Pawar’s death, the police team registered a fabricated First Information Report. It claimed the police had intercepted six armed dacoits preparing to commit robbery. The police also falsely claimed that Begya and Raju sustained injuries during a "scuffle" while resisting arrest, the prosecution said.

The police team also attempted to pressure medical staff into stating that the victims were assaulted by local residents, it said.

However, the truth came to light following a probe by the Criminal Investigation Department on June 14, 2011.

During the course of trial, the prosecution relied on the testimony of 47 witnesses, and the victim’s medical report. The prosecution’s case was cemented by the post-mortem report.

A panel of three doctors confirmed that the cause of death was "shock and haemorrhage following multiple contusions all over the body with multiple fractures".

After considering all the evidence on record, the court concluded that the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt against all the accused.

However, the judge asserted that it was not a "rarest of rare" case to warrant the death sentence. "Considering entire facts and circumstances, I am of the view that following sentence will meet end of justice," Judge Zapate ruled.