Bhopal BTech student dies after alleged police beating; two constables suspended

NEW DELHI: A 22-year-old BTech student died after being beaten allegedly by police personnel in the early hours of Friday in Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal, officials said. A video clip showed a policeman holding Udit Gaayke, while another is seen hitting him with a stick. Constables Santosh Bamaniya and Saurabh Arya have been suspended in this connection, and further action will follow after the post mortem report is received, Bhopal Zone 2 Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vivek Singh said.

Gaayke was rushed to hospital by his friends where doctors declared him dead, he said. His friends said they were partying in Indrapuri last night. One of them was dropping Gaayke home around 1:30am when the latter spotted police and started running into an alley, they added. Both the policemen chased him down, and beat him, and he was later found with his shirt torn and with bruises on the body, the friends said.

Also read Mahindra University, Virginia Tech open PhD admissions for January 2026; entrance test on November 22

These friends claimed the policemen sought Rs 10,000 when asked to stop the assault. "Details will be clear after the post mortem report is received. Statements of family members are being recorded. The case is being probed by a City Superintendent of Police level officer," DCP Singh said. Another official said Udit's parents work in Bhopal, while his brother-in-law is a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Balaghat district.