"My son was thrashed mercilessly"

Neighbours mill about her hut, looking on helplessly. Emerging from her trance-like state periodically, 45-year-old Kaushalya recounts the horror of seeing her son in a coma, his “badly mutilated” body lying deathly still in the hospital’sIntensive Care Unit.

She says she learnt of her son’s arrest and subsequent hospitalisation just hours before his death on Sunday. Sanjay had not returned home since the previous Monday and a search was launched for him the next day. The trail finally led to the hospital, where she found her son. But it was too late.Kaushalya says Sanjay’s feet were swollen, his buttocks bore deep gashes and his nails had been pulled out. “His body had turned green and blue, his neck was also swollen, his front tooth was broken and lower lip was reduced to nothing,” Kaushalya said, recoiling ever time the wounding memory returns.

She insists her son’s arrest was a mistake. “He had never stolen in the past… he was an honest and scrupulous man,” Kaushalya adds. Police, though, deny the youth was thrashed, claiming he was admitted to hospital when he had an `attack’. “His body was swollen due to kidney and liver failure,” says Senior Police Inspector Pradeep Yadav of the CST police station.

“The preliminaryautopsy report clearly states he had withdrawal symptoms the likes of which only an alcoholic or drug addict suffers,” Yadav claims.The autopsy report states that Badgujar died of hepato-renal failure. It also confirms major injuries on the buttocks. The medical opinion is that the condition of his liver may have deteriorated due to excess alcohol and the alleged assault contributed to his death.

But Kaushalya insists her son was a teetotaller and was in perfect health. She also vehemently denies he drank or was addicted to drugs. “We never had enough money to eat, how could Sanjay afford to drink,” she asks, as the neighbours gaze blankly at her. “What will we do without him? My Sanjay! My Sanjay,” Kaushalya wails.

Says Sanjay’s married sister Sangeeta, “My mother and younger brother will starve now. Who will feed her? Who will look after her? The police do not even touch murderers while they killed my innocent brother,” she says. But Deputy Superintendent of Police, S G Suryavanshi, says:“Badgujar was caught red-handed. This will be proved by the CID inquiry.” Asked why Sanjay’s family had not been informed of his arrest on April 6, Yadav claims the boy said he had no relatives and he slept on railway platforms. “In fact, he even faked his name, saying he was Sanjay Manohar Kadam.”