Bhiwandi, Maharashtra — The family of Sadiq Ali Jafri, a man who died in police custody in 2022, continues to fight for justice, claiming he was choked to death by police officers in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra. While authorities maintain that Sadiq died of natural causes, his wife and family allege a cover-up and continued police harassment.
Sadiq’s death bears chilling similarities to the murder of George Floyd in the United States. Like Floyd, Sadiq reportedly cried out that he couldn’t breathe as a policeman allegedly wrapped an arm around his neck during the arrest.
At the time of the incident on February 10, 2022, Sadiq’s wife, Saiba Jafri, was three months pregnant and had been married for just three months. According to her account, Sadiq had stepped out briefly to collect rent for his auto-rickshaw when he was intercepted by police barely 200 metres from their family-owned paan shop.
“He was shouting for help and calling our names,” Saiba recalled. “One policeman had his arm tightly around Sadiq’s neck, and two others held his hands while a driver stood nearby.”
Saiba says she watched helplessly as her husband cried, “Saiba, saans nahi le paa raha hoon” (Saiba, I can’t breathe). She claims the police refused to release him, and soon after, he collapsed unconscious. One of the officers allegedly remarked, “Yeh saala toh mar gaya” (This guy is dead), before leaving the scene in an auto-rickshaw. Sadiq was rushed to a local hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
In the aftermath, instead of justice, the family alleges further persecution. Sadiq’s father spent over a year in jail, one of his brothers remains imprisoned, and Saiba, now living in Goa with her young son and mother, continues to face threats and bureaucratic hurdles.
A glimmer of hope emerged in September 2024 when the Bombay High Court, responding to the family’s petition, ordered a fresh investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sadiq’s death.
This report is part of the joint “Police Impunity” series by The News Minute and Newslaundry, which highlights systemic abuses by law enforcement and their disproportionate impact on minorities and marginalized communities.
