Patna: A kidnapping suspect died under suspicious circumstances while being transported from Bihar to Varanasi police custody. The body of the accused, identified as Pancham Pandey, 45, from Shahpur in Bhojpur, was discovered in the toilet of a dhaba on the Mohania-Varanasi highway. The police had also recovered a teenager, who was the subject of an ongoing investigation.
The teenager had gone missing on October 23, 2024, prompting her brother, a resident of the Pakki Bazaar area, to file a report with the Cantt police station. The 16-year-old, who suffers from mental health issues and was undergoing treatment at Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay Mental Hospital, vanished in the crowd near the court while her brother was escorting her for treatment. Despite extensive searches by her family, she remained missing, leading them to file a formal complaint.
As the investigation progressed, authorities uncovered evidence suggesting the involvement of Pancham Pandey in the suspected kidnapping. A surveillance team traced his location to Bhojpur, Bihar, prompting a police operation.
On the evening of October 23, a team led by Inspector Gaurav Mishra and Ayush Pandey apprehended Pancham Pandey and rescued the missing teenager from a room outside his residence. After the successful operation, the police team began their return to Banaras but stopped at a dhaba along the Mohania highway for a meal.
While at the dhaba, Pancham Pandey requested to use the toilet. He was accompanied by a constable, but after half an hour, when he failed to respond to calls, the officers knocked on the door and received no answer. Concerned, they called dhaba workers to break down the door, only to find Pandey unconscious inside. The police quickly transported him to a nearby district hospital.
Upon arrival, doctors declared Pancham Pandey dead. Given the suspicious nature of his death, medical personnel notified local authorities and prepared a report. The Mohania police then took custody of the body and initiated an investigation, gathering details about the incident.
Inspector Rajkumar, along with ACP Vidush Saxena, arrived at the scene to assess the situation. The police informed the family of the deceased, noting that Pandey’s death might have been caused by a heart attack. Notably, no complaints have been lodged by his family regarding the circumstances of his death.
Following instructions from Superintendent of Police Lalit Mohan Sharma, the body was sent to Sadar Hospital Bhabua for a postmortem examination, to be conducted under the supervision of a magistrate. Sharma confirmed that this incident is classified as a custodial death and emphasized that a detailed report will be submitted to the Human Rights Commission. The postmortem will be videographed, and further actions will be determined based on the investigation’s findings.
