Patna, Jul 14 (IANS): Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajiv Mishra has claimed that Vijay Singh, a BJP party leader, did not die during the police lathi-charge and had no external injuries. 

Singh died on Thursday and BJP has said that he died in the police's brutal action.

While speaking to media persons here in Patna on Thursday, Mishra said, "The lathi-charge took place at Dak Bungalow Chowk at 1 p.m. and Vijay Singh was found walking in the Chajju Bagh area at 1.22 p.m.

"In another CCTV footage, an empty cycle-rickshaw was seen in the CCTV footage of Durga apartment at 1.27 p.m. and Vijay Singh and his friend reached Tara hospital in the same rickshaw at 1.32 p.m. Which means something happened in 10 minutes between 1.22 p.m. to 1.32 p.m. in Chajju Bagh.

"In another CCTV footage he collapsed on the road near a transformer at 1.23 p.m. At 1.22 pm he was found walking on the road and that place is 50 meters away from the place where he collapsed. I want to clarify that there was no police deployment in the Chajju Bagh area. It is a completely different location from Dak Bungalow Chowk.

"Vijay Singh along with his friend Bharat Prasad Chandravanshi went to Gandhi Maidan for the BJP event. As per the statement of Chandravansi, Vijay Singh did not go towards Dak Bungalow Chowk located on Fraser road. They took the route from JP roundabout located at the south west of Gandhi Maidan to Chajju Bagh road.

"He was seen walking on Chajju Bagh road from a CCTV camera installed in the registration office at 1.22 p.m. We have also located the cycle rickshaw coming empty from Durga apartment on this road at 1.27 p.m. So, it is clear that Vijay Singh was not present in Dal Bungalow Chowk," Mishra said.

"The district administration has constituted a medical board for the post-mortem of the deceased. We have also conducted a videography of the post-mortem and are waiting for the report. It is expected anytime on Friday," Mishra said.

"The district administration had given the permission to the event in Gandhi Maidan. They were not given any permission for the march. Still, they marched towards the Dak Bungalow Chowk. We have the police barricading there which was broken by them. They also threw chill powder in the eyes of police personnel. Then we have initiated a mild lathi-charge. We took 59 people into custody and later released them.