One member panel formed for judicial probe into custodial death of Dalit protester

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Wednesday set up a one-member committee of retired judge V L Achalia for a judicial inquiry into the custodial death of Parbhani protester Somnath Suryavanshi, officials said.

The order of appointing the retired judge for the judicial inquiry was issued by the home department, an official said.

The committee will investigate the sequence of events and reasons concerning the custodial death of Suryavanshi, he said.

Suryavanshi, 35, died at a state-run hospital in Parbhani on December 15 while in judicial custody, days after he was arrested in connection with violence in Parbhani over the desecration of the glass-encased replica of the Constitution.

Police had said Suryavanshi died after falling ill.

The panel will also probe into the steps taken by the Parbhani police to handle the situation during the violence, the official said.