“My son was killed in police custody,” says mother of 20-year-old from Bihar’s Siwan
Patna: The death of 20-year-old Faiz Anwar in police custody in Bihar’s Siwan district has sparked anger and demands for justice, with his family accusing the police of torture and cover-up, reported Maktoob Media.
Faiz, son of Mohammad Aslam and a resident of Mohiuddinpur, was arrested on July 31, 2025, in connection with a theft case. On August 2, police informed the family that he had died. They claimed he fell ill in jail, was taken to a hospital, and died by suicide there.
His family strongly disputes this version. They say Faiz had visible injuries, including deep marks on his neck, which suggest he was strangled.
Quoting Saif Ali, Faiz’s elder brother, Maktoob reported that he tried several times to meet his brother in custody but was turned away. On his final attempt, he saw police carrying a body out of the jail, without telling him it was Faiz. When he confronted them, they said Faiz had fallen in the jail hospital and was being taken for treatment.
At Siwan Sadar Hospital, Faiz was declared dead. “The hospital sent me to the police, and the police sent me back to the doctors. No one gave a clear answer,” Ali said.
The family then staged a protest outside the hospital with Faiz’s body, demanding an explanation. Only then, Ali says, did police claim Faiz had died by suicide.
They also accuse authorities of delaying the post-mortem report for over three days, a move legal experts say breaks the rules for custodial death cases and suggests a possible cover-up.
The family submitted a written complaint to Mofassil Police Station on August 8, 2025, but an FIR has still not been registered. In a letter to the District Magistrate, Faiz’s mother, Zaida Khatoon, alleged that her son was killed by police officials and demanded an investigation.
Maktoob reported that their calls to police were unanswered.
Ali is calling for a judicial inquiry, a CBI probe, and the immediate suspension of all officers involved in Faiz’s detention.
Advocate Kaif Hasan, who is helping the family, speaking to Maktoob called the case a “clear denial of justice” and stressed that the state must ensure transparency, conduct forensic tests, and order an independent investigation. He pointed out that Bihar has a history of custodial deaths caused by poor supervision, inadequate medical checks, or abuse.
It is still unknown whether CCTV cameras in the lock-up or hospital were working, or if a magistrate has inspected the site. No footage or official records have been shared with the family or their lawyers.
The family is demanding the release of all documents related to Faiz’s arrest, detention, hospital treatment, and death.
So far, no police officer has been suspended, questioned, or named in any inquiry. For Faiz’s family, still waiting for the post-mortem report and official answers, justice remains out of reach.
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HC questions Delhi govt over failure to regulate sale of old vehicles, refers to Red Fort blast
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court questioned the city government on Wednesday over its failure to regulate the sale and transfer of used vehicles, while pointing out that in a recent bomb blast near the Red Fort, a second-hand car was used, making the issue more significant.
A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela asked the Delhi government to file a detailed response on the issue of regulating authorised dealers of registered vehicles.
"A car changes four hands but the original owner has not changed. Therefore, what happens? That man (the original owner) goes to the slaughterhouse? What is this? How are you permitting this? You will take a call when two-three more bomb blasts take place?" the bench asked the Delhi government's counsel.
The bomb blast near the iconic Mughal-era monument was carried out using a second-hand car, making the issue even more significant, it said.
The court listed the matter for further hearing in January 2026.
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The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) plea filed by an organisation, Towards Happy Earth Foundation, highlighting the challenges in the implementation of rules 55A to 55H of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, introduced in December 2022 to regulate authorised dealers of registered vehicles.
While the rules were intended to bring accountability to the second-hand vehicle market, the petitioner's counsel argued that they have failed in practice due to regulatory gaps and procedural hurdles.
The plea said there is a major gap in the amended framework, that is, the absence of any statutory mechanism for reporting dealer-to-dealer transfers.
"In reality, most used vehicles pass through multiple dealers before reaching the final buyer, but the rules recognise only the first transfer to the initial authorised dealer.
"As a result, the chain of custody breaks after the first step, defeating the very purpose of accountability," the petition said.
It added that because of these gaps, only a very small percentage of dealers across India have been able to obtain authorised dealer registration and in Delhi, not a single dealer has got it.
Consequently, lakhs of vehicles continue to circulate without any record of who is actually in possession of those, it said.
The plea said only a small fraction of India's estimated 30,000 to 40,000 used-vehicle dealers are registered under the authorised-dealer framework.
The petition also pointed out that the 11-year-old vehicle used in the November 10 bomb blast near the Red Fort was sold several times but was still registered in its original owner's name.
The blast near the Red Fort had claimed 15 lives.
