Indore Man Dies By Suicide After Being Slapped By Cop, Family Demands Probe

A man in MP died after jumping from the fifth floor of his apartment. His family claims he was slapped by a policeman during questioning outside the building shortly before the incident, which left him frightened. Police say they only counselled him and left the spot. The young man jumped about 45 minutes later.

A 23-year-old man in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, died after jumping from the fifth floor of his apartment building in the early hours of Thursday. The man, identified as Raj Makwana, fell from the Tapti Complex residential building between 2 am and 3 am. His family claims the tragic incident happened shortly after a policeman allegedly slapped him during questioning outside the building. 

The incident has now raised serious questions about what happened in the final moments before his death. Police, however, have given a slightly different account of the events. An investigation is now underway.

Argument with security guard led to police intervention

According to the family, Raj Makwana had been suffering from mental health issues and breathing problems for some time. Because of his health condition, he mostly stayed inside the house and was under medical treatment.

On the night of the incident, Raj stepped out of the apartment building for some fresh air. His sister Nikita said he sometimes did this when he felt uneasy or had breathing discomfort.

While outside, a security guard of the building reportedly questioned him about why he was out so late at night. The conversation soon turned into an argument. The guard then alerted police personnel who were passing nearby. Officers arrived at the spot and began questioning Raj.

Family says Raj apologised but was slapped

Raj's family says they rushed downstairs after learning that the police were questioning him. His sister Nikita said the family explained to the officers that Raj had mental health issues and was on medication. They requested the police to allow him to return home.

According to Nikita, Raj also tried to calm the situation and apologised to the officer during the questioning. However, the family alleges that one of the policemen slapped him despite his apology, according to a report by NDTV.

“He said sorry, but the officer slapped him,” Nikita said while describing the incident.

The family believes the slap deeply frightened Raj.

Fear and panic before the tragic jump

After the police left the building, Raj returned to his apartment. His sister said he appeared scared and told the family that he feared the police would take him away.

“He came home and said he was scared the police would take him, so he wanted to hide somewhere,” she said.

Shortly afterwards, Raj ran upstairs and jumped from the fifth floor of the building. He suffered severe injuries in the fall and died on the spot. Police later arrived at the location and rushed him to hospital, but doctors declared him dead.

His body was later sent for a post-mortem examination.

Police give a different version of events

Police officials say the situation happened differently. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotiya said the security guard of Tapti Complex had contacted the beat officer around 2 am. The guard reportedly complained that a young man was creating a disturbance near the building.

A police response team then reached the spot. According to the police, officers spoke to Raj and his mother and tried to calm the situation.

“The family informed us that the boy was mentally ill and had been under treatment for two years,” Dandotiya said.

Police said the team counselled the family and left the building after the situation appeared normal.

Police say suicide happened later

Police say the tragic incident happened about 45 minutes after the officers left the building. Around 4:07 am, police received information that Raj had jumped from the fifth floor.

Officers returned to the spot and took him to the hospital. However, he had already suffered fatal injuries.

Family demands answers as investigation begins

Raj Makwana lived with his family in the apartment building, which is part of a government housing scheme developed by the Indore Development Authority (IDA). His father, Manoj Makwana, works as a cook. His mother is a homemaker. Raj also has two sisters who work nearby and a brother employed in a private company.

Family members say Raj had been struggling with health problems and had mostly stayed indoors for several months.

The incident has left the family in shock. They are demanding a fair investigation into the events that took place before his death. Police say a case has been registered and the matter is currently under investigation.

(Suicide is never a solution. Seek help from mental-health professionals. If you ever experience such thoughts, please call the ‘DISHA’ helpline. Toll-free helpline numbers: 1056, 0471-2552056)