A 25‑year‑old man from Sengarwar Satpura village under Chakghat police station in Rewa consumed a poisonous substance inside the Chakghat police station premises on Friday evening, plunging the station into panic and triggering a fresh wave of allegations of police horse‑trading and extortion in the district. The youth, Pushpraj Manjhi, is currently being treated in the ICU of a private hospital in Rewa town, with his condition described as serious but stable, while local authorities have opened a probe into the exact sequence of events and the role, if any, of police personnel in the incident.

Youth Consumes Poison Inside Station

According to local police and hospital sources, Pushpraj Manjhi (25) was called to Chakghat thana for questioning in connection with a love‑tangle case around late afternoon. While reportedly being questioned inside the station, he suddenly ingested a poisonous liquid, believed to be an agricultural pesticide or similar toxic substance, witnesses told local media. Officers present at the spot rushed him to a private hospital in Rewa, where doctors reportedly administered activated charcoal, gastric lavage and supportive care; he was then moved to the intensive care unit, where he remains under close observation.

Alleged Love Affair Background

Police sources say the case stems from a romantic relationship that had already turned bitter after the girl’s marriage. The young woman, also a resident of the same cluster of villages, had allegedly approached Chakghat police with a complaint that Pushpraj was still trying to contact her, sending messages and threatening to make her photos public or circulate them online. At least one report describes her complaint as a harassment and extortion‑like demand, with the girl fearing that private images or details could be misused if she did not comply with his demands. Based on this, the station in‑charge summoned Pushpraj for questioning, which led to the evening‑time confrontation inside the station.

Family Alleges Bribery Pressure

As news of the poisoning spread, Pushpraj’s family members gathered outside the hospital, demanding a fair and independent probe. They claimed that police personnel had demanded money from the youth and his relatives, framing the drugs‑intake as a direct reaction to pressure and extortion. One of his relatives, speaking on condition of anonymity, told local reporters that officers had allegedly asked for a “settlement” amount and that Pushpraj was mentally broken by the experience of being detained and threatened inside the station. While the family has not quantified the exact sum, multiple local outlets quote them warning that the incident could be a “textbook case of custodial pressure” if the allegations are proved.

Police Deny Bribe Claims

The station house officer (SHO) of Chakghat, Balakesh Singh, has publicly denied the bribe‑demand allegations, calling them “baseless and motivated.” In a brief statement to local journalists, he said Pushpraj was only called for routine questioning, adding that no physical force or coercion was used and that the man suddenly consumed the poison during the course of the conversation. Singh also confirmed that the youth was quickly rushed to the nearest private facility and that the district police have initiated an internal and departmental probe, including the possibility of reviewing CCTV footage if available from the station premises.

Administrative and Public Reaction

The incident has triggered angry murmurs among local residents, many of whom have long complained about alleged police-industrialisation of petty cases in the Rewa and adjoining districts. Community leaders in the Chakghat and Sengarwar belt say that the poisoning adds to a pattern where youth facing police summons over family or relationship disputes end up in mental distress or worse. Administratively, the district police administration has been asked to submit a detailed status report to the Superintendent of Police (SP), while local lawyers’ groups have flagged the case as one that could invite human‑rights scrutiny if any evidence of coercion emerges.

What Comes Next

Doctors at the private hospital said that the next 24–48 hours will be critical in determining whether Pushpraj’s condition improves enough to move him out of intensive care. If he survives, police are expected to record his statement once he is medically fit, while the ongoing probe may also examine how a toxic substance was procured and brought into the station premises. For the public, the case has become emblematic of broader concerns about police accountability, custodial safety and mental‑health support for suspects, especially in small‑town and rural police stations where oversight remains patchy.