Bihar: Mother cries for justice after 20-year-old Muslim son killed in police custody
Siwan, 10 August – (www.deccanlive.com): A case of a 20-year-old Muslim youth’s death in police custody has sparked anger in Bihar’s Siwan district. The incident has raised serious allegations of torture, negligence, and failure by the state authorities.
The victim, Faiz Anwar, son of Mohammad Aslam from Mohiuddinpur, Siwan, was arrested on July 31, 2025, in connection with a theft case. On August 2, police declared him dead, claiming that he had fallen ill, was taken to the hospital, and allegedly committed suicide.
However, Faiz’s elder brother, Saif Ali, has accused the police of foul play. He said Faiz’s body had visible injuries, including two deep marks on his neck, suggesting forced strangulation. Ali claimed that despite repeated requests, police denied him permission to meet his brother in custody. The first time he saw Faiz after the arrest was when police were taking his body outside the jail – without informing him it was Faiz.
“When I questioned them, they said he had collapsed inside the jail hospital and was being taken to the hospital,” Ali said. “But when we reached the district hospital, he was already declared dead. The hospital officials sent us to the police, and the police sent us to the doctors. No one gave us a clear answer.”
Family members staged a protest outside the hospital, demanding to know the cause of death. Police later claimed it was a suicide.
Ali also accused authorities of withholding the post-mortem report for more than three days — a delay that legal experts say violates custodial death protocols and raises suspicion of a cover-up. The family has been trying to file a complaint, and on August 8, 2025, they submitted a written request at the Mofussil Police Station. However, no FIR has been registered yet.
In her written complaint to the District Magistrate, Faiz’s mother, Zaida Khatoon, stated, “My son was killed by police officials while in custody.” She has demanded a thorough investigation.
For the family — still waiting for the post-mortem report and an explanation of how Faiz died — justice remains out of reach.
