DSP’s brother-in-law dies after police beating in Bhopal:Postmortem confirms pancreas rupture as cause of death; no FIR filed yet against two suspended constables

A 20-year-old software engineer, Udit Kumar Gayaki, died in Bhopal after allegedly being beaten by two police constables in the Piplani area.
The young man, who was the brother-in-law of a DSP posted in Balaghat, succumbed to injuries that doctors say were caused by “severe trauma and pancreatic rupture.” Despite the postmortem confirming that the death resulted from the beating, no FIR has yet been registered against the accused policemen. Postmortem confirms death due to internal injuries The autopsy, conducted by a five-member team of doctors, was video-recorded for transparency. According to the postmortem report, Udit’s death was caused by “trauma attack and pancreatic damage”. The pancreas — a vital organ located behind the stomach — had ruptured due to a powerful blow, causing internal bleeding and organ failure. Doctors also found 16 external injury marks on Udit’s body, including bruises on the head, shoulders, back, abdomen, and near the eyes and ears. His right eye and forehead bore deep wounds, and his back showed marks consistent with baton blows. CCTV footage from the scene reportedly shows a policeman striking Udit repeatedly on his lower back, which aligns with the medical finding of a pancreatic rupture. “The pattern of injuries is consistent with a sustained physical assault,” said one of the doctors involved in the postmortem, requesting anonymity. Incident in the night The incident took place late Thursday night in the Piplani police station area of Bhopal. Around 1:30 AM, two constables — Santosh Bamaniya and Saurabh Arya — stopped Udit and his friends during a routine patrol. What followed, witnesses claim, was a brutal beating that left the 20-year-old unconscious. According to sources, the policemen suspected Udit and his friends of being “drunk or involved in suspicious activity.” However, those close to the victim insist that Udit was neither intoxicated nor misbehaving. “He was polite and cooperative, but they kept hitting him,” said a relative. After the assault, Udit collapsed. His friends rushed him to AIIMS Bhopal, where doctors declared him dead on arrival. Friend’s testimony: ‘They demanded ₹10,000 from us’ Udit’s close friend Akshat, who witnessed the entire incident, revealed that the policemen demanded money from the group during the altercation. “When they started hitting Udit, we tried to reason with them. But they didn’t listen. One of them said, ‘Give ₹10,000 and leave quietly.’ We were terrified,” Akshat recounted. He added that Udit appeared to be in pain but didn’t realize the severity of his injuries. “I helped him into the car. He said, ‘Turn on the AC and give me some water.’ He didn’t mention that he was hurting badly. On the way, he vomited several times,” Akshat said. As they reached a nearby police outpost, they sought help from familiar officers. “One of our friends, Dipesh, checked his pulse — but it was gone. We rushed him to a local hospital. The doctors said, ‘There’s only a 1% chance.’ We immediately took him to AIIMS, but doctors there told us he was already dead,” Akshat recalled tearfully. Constables suspended, but no FIR filed Following widespread outrage and the emergence of CCTV evidence, constables Santosh Bamaniya and Saurabh Arya were suspended from duty. However, the police department has not yet registered an FIR against them. DCP (Zone 2) Vivek Singh confirmed the autopsy results, stating, The postmortem indicates that Udit’s death was due to pancreatic damage. Both constables have admitted to beating him but claimed it was not severe enough to cause death. When questioned about the delay in filing an FIR, Singh said the investigation was still underway. They (the constables) said Udit tried to run when they approached him. They considered him suspicious and chased him. They admit to using force but insist it wasn’t fatal. The inquiry will determine accountability. This justification has drawn severe criticism from Udit’s family and civil rights groups, who allege that the police are protecting their own. Family devastated: ‘He was our only son’ Udit came from a middle-class family in Bhopal. His father, Rajkumar Gayaki, works as an engineer with the MCB in Sukhi Sewaniya, while his mother is a schoolteacher. His brother-in-law, DSP Ketan Adlak, is posted with the Balaghat Hawk Force. A bright student, Udit had completed his B.Tech from VIT Ashta and had been living in Bengaluru for the last three months in search of a job. He had returned to Bhopal just three days before his death to collect his documents. “He was our only son,” said his father, choking with grief. “He had dreams, he was responsible, and he wanted to make us proud. I can’t believe the police — who should protect — killed him.” His younger sister, still in school, was inconsolable during the funeral. Family friends described Udit as “quiet, humble, and hardworking.” Protests and political outrage Following the incident, hundreds of people, including Udit’s relatives and neighbors, gathered outside Piplani police station on Friday evening. The protest soon turned intense, with chants of “Police administration, wake up!” echoing in the area. The protesters demanded that the two constables be booked under Section 302 (murder) and immediately arrested. Former Minister and Congress leader Sukhdev Panse also joined the protest, denouncing the police for brutality and corruption. “This is a shameful incident for Madhya Pradesh,” Panse said. “The policemen demanded ₹10,000 from unemployed youths, and when they refused, they beat Udit to death. The government must file a murder case, dismiss the accused, and provide ₹5 crore in compensation to the family.” He added that incidents like these erode public faith in the police force. “If the law enforcers become the lawbreakers, what hope is left for ordinary citizens?” Panse questioned. Public anger and calls for accountability The case has triggered widespread outrage across Bhopal and social media, with citizens demanding justice for Udit and accountability within the police department. Civil rights groups have also urged the state government to ensure an impartial investigation. Despite clear evidence from CCTV footage and the medical report, the delay in filing an FIR has become a focal point of public anger. Many fear the accused may be shielded by the department, as has often been the case in police custodial deaths. Legal experts say that under Section 302 of the IPC, police officials are not immune from prosecution in cases where death results from custodial violence. “The law is clear — no one is above it. The delay only deepens suspicion of bias,” said a Bhopal-based lawyer. As the investigation continues, Udit’s family continues to wait for justice — their faith shaken, their son gone. “We don’t want sympathy,” said Udit’s father quietly. “We only want those responsible for his death to be punished.”