Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Sep 22: Some sportspersons undergoing training at Kanteerava stadium in the city have unexpectedly found themselves behind the bars. The trainees, identified as Nishant, Kiran, Bharat and Utkarsh, who had caught a thief of laptop and mobile phone redhanded and handed him over to police, have now been charged with murder. Police say that the other accused sportsperson, Sneha, is absconding.

These youngsters have been accused of thrashing Raju (30), the thief in question, after catching him, a charge which is being stoutly denied by the accused. The sportspersons have been claiming that when they handed over Raju to the police, he was in good health and suspected that this may be a case of lockup death.

Deputy commissioner of police, Sandeep Patil, has denied these allegations. He says that the accused had admitted to beating up the theft-accused. He added that Raju died in hospital, not in lockup.

Athletes and persons involved with adventurous sports get training at Kanteerava stadium daily. On September 16, laptop of one of the trainees had gone missing. It is said that laptops and cellphones go missing routinely at Kanteerava stadium. The people had visited Sampangiramanagar police station for filing the complaint, but there was no one to register complaints as police personnel were deployed elsewhere due to Cauvery agitation. As such, the sportspersons planned to catch hold of the thief by keeping laptops and cellphones openly and keeping watch from a distance. At around 6 am on Sunday, Raju had gone to the spot and tried to steal a laptop. Immediately the sportspersons got in touch with each other over phone and caught Raju. He was beaten up before handing him to the police, it is said.

The police had confined Raju in lock-up till 12 noon that day. As he exhibited signs of deterioration of health then, he was taken to Phoenix hospital nearby. As bleeding was observed in his head region, he was referred to NIMHANS Hospital where he died on Monday. Sandeep Patil said that the theft and assault case has been changed into one of murder.

The police have found out that Raju was earlier working as cook at various places and also a gym in the city but in all places he had left jobs within a few days. There is no information what he was doing lately after leaving his last job at the gym is not known. The sportspersons claim that Raju would not have walked away with police if he had suffered severe head injuries. The fact that the accused was normal till 12 noon before suffering from ill health also has given rise to suspicion.