Bemetara police accused of negligence after locking woman in room presumed dead

In Bemetara, Chhattisgarh, local police face allegations of gross negligence after a woman, identified as Devika Sahu, was mistakenly declared dead following an attempted suicide. Sahu, a 44-year-old mother of three, reportedly attempted to hang herself in her rented residence at Parshuram Chowk.

According to local reports and family members, the City Kotwali police arrived at the scene but failed to properly verify the woman's vital signs. Believing she had passed away, officers locked the room and left, stating they would return later to complete the official inquest (panchnama).

When police returned approximately two hours later to reopen the room, they discovered Sahu was still breathing. She was immediately transported to a private hospital and subsequently referred to a district hospital, where she is currently in the ICU. While her condition is reported to be out of danger, the incident has sparked significant outrage among residents and relatives, who staged a road blockade to demand an investigation into the police conduct.