The Nellore district police ordered a departmental inquiry with seven policemen, including a Circle Inspector and an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), in an alleged custodial death case. So far, Ttree policemen were suspended and four were sent to Vacancy Reserve (VR) in the case.
The victim has been identified as Emmanuel (41), of Manipur, who belonged to the Kuki tribe.
Guntur Range IG, G. Pala Raju, conducted an inquiry and suspended Venkatachala Satram CI, Gangadhar, ASI, Srinath and constable Lakshmikanth. SI Ayyappa, constables Madan Kumar and Nagendra and home guards, Madhusudhan Rao and Madhu were sent to VR in the case. The victim was travelling from Assam to Ernakulam when the incident happened, the police said.
“In the wake of violence, and the attacks on Kuki tribe people in Manipur, Emmanuel, might be travelling to some other State. He was seen panicky, mentally disturbed and behaved in an erratic manner,” the police said.
Superintendent of Police, K. Tirumaleswar Reddy, said that Emmanuel, who was travelling to Kerala in a train had some quarrel with co-passengers. He alighted the train at Vedayapalem railway station, and attacked some passengers. The victims alerted the police and he was taken into custody. “While being shifted to Venkatachala Satram police station, Emmanuel reportedly behaved in erratic manner. After reaching the police station, he behaved like an insane person and the police chained him,” the SP said.
“Emmanuel was brought to the station around 4 p. m. and was kept in the police station up to 9 p. m, on July 16. When the constables removed one end of the chain, he ran out of the station with the chain. While escaping, he fell from a height, and died on the spot, near Vedayapalem area. The Venkatachala Satram police registered a case on the custodial death,” the SP said.
“The Venkatachala Satram police, neither made an entry in the general diary on the custody of Emmanuel, nor alerted the higher officials on the incident, and acted negligently,” Mr. Tirumaleswar Reddy told The Hindu on Sunday.
Mr. Pala Raju issued the suspension orders on July 22, and a detailed departmental inquiry is on against the policemen involved in the incident, the SP added.
SI, constable suspended in another incident
In a separate custodial death of a student, V. Akash Ram, in Sydapuram police station in Nellore district, the SP suspended SI, Naga Babu and police constable, Veerabrahmam. The Police brought the victim to the station over a love affair case, and he consumed pesticide on the station premises on Thursday. Akash was rushed to SVIMS, Tirupati, where he died while undergoing treatment. The victim’s father, V. Ankaiah, alleged that police tortured his son for three days at the station.
On Saturday, his family staged a dharna in front of the Sydapuram police station. Following an enquiry, the SI and the constable were placed under suspension, the SP said.
