A 22-year-old university student was found dead with a gunshot wound at his home in Mapusa late on Thursday night, hours after he was detained and questioned on charges of littering in public.
The young man spent several hours at the police station after a video of the incident spread on social media.
Superintendent of Police (North Goa), Salim Sheikh, said the police received information about the student’s death around 1:30 am to 2 am on Friday. He added: “We have registered a case of unnatural death and are investigating the matter.”
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said he called for a detailed investigation into the matter.
The third-year university student had been photographed earlier throwing garbage in the open.
The video clip, which was spread on social media, was widely circulated. A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against him under the Goa Non-Biodegradable Garbage Control Act, 1996, which stipulates a maximum fine of $1000 and imprisonment for a month for throwing plastic waste in the open.
“We received a complaint that he was dumping garbage illegally and the video had gone viral on social media. We examined it and registered an offense under the Non-Biodegradable Substances Act, 1996. The penalty imposed is mostly a fine, although imprisonment is also an option at the discretion of the court,” Shaikh added.
The student’s family linked his death to the local police calling him and keeping him waiting for half a day. He was also warned that he cannot leave the state until the investigation into the case is completed, his family claimed.
Sheikh defended the police’s actions, noting that he had to wait because the police were busy.
He added: “We summoned him to the police station, interviewed him, sent him a notice and sent him home. At that time, there were a lot of people at the police station. There were several matters going on, so it took us some time to deal with him.”
