Jaipur: Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot Friday said that Rajasthan ranked second in the country in custodial deaths last fiscal.Targeting the BJP govt, Gehlot cited National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) data to claim that such deaths in the state doubled from nine in 2024-25 to 18 in 2025-26.In a post on X, Gehlot also raised the death of a 16-year-old boy on Oct 5 in the hospital following torture in custody at Jaipur’s Muhana police station. Rajasthan State Human Rights Commission has directed authorities to preserve CCTV footage from the police station, while a judicial inquiry into the case is underway.Gehlot said the boy’s birth certificate showed his age as 16 years and nine months, and questioned his alleged detention at the police station despite being a minor.He also referred to allegations that the teenager was assaulted and later taken to a private hospital under a different name, where he was reportedly treated for a snakebite. Gehlot questioned the circumstances, citing the reported absence of bite marks and a CT scan showing serious head injuries.“Four days have passed, but no action has been taken against those responsible. The entire matter needs a fair investigation, and the circumstances surrounding the alleged snakebite must also be established,” Gehlot said.He welcomed the human rights commission’s direction to preserve CCTV footage and demanded an FIR and action against police personnel if found responsible.
