Three Cops Suspended After Detainee Dies in Sikkim Lock-Up

Gangtok: Three police officers were suspended after a 55-year-old man died in a lock-up. Purney Darjee was found dead at the Singtam Police Station in Sikkim’s Gangtok district on July 29. He had been in custody since July 25 for drug charges.

Darjee faced counts under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985 and the Sikkim Anti-Drugs Act of 2006. A court remanded him until the day he died. Senior officers notified the family and allowed them to view the body. "Darjee hanged himself at Singtam Police Station within hours of being detained in a drug-related case," a police official said.

Authorities took swift action to secure the scene. They collected forensic evidence and seized custody records under the watch of the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Gangtok and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Rabdang. The team included Crime Branch staff and independent witnesses. They recorded the entire process on video to ensure transparency.

Officials launched an inquest under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. The Chief Judicial Magistrate also ordered a separate judicial magisterial inquiry. Both the National and State Human Rights Commissions received reports on the incident. A board of doctors performed a post-mortem examination, while the State Forensic Science Laboratory processed the lock-up.

Police suspended the three officers on duty during the night shift. An investigator not linked to the original drug case is now running the probe. Gangtok police requested that the public respect the family's privacy and avoid speculation while the legal process plays out.