Vijayawada, YSRCP supremo Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday termed the alleged suicide of Perupogu Kranthi Kumar here as a “tragic symbol of the collapse of law and order” in Andhra Pradesh.
A video of a Dalit taxi driver, Kumar, had gone viral recently, in which he is seen accusing the former Krishna Lanka police inspector SSVV Naga Raju of forcing him to take the extreme step.
He ended his life by consuming poison on May 21.
Naga Raju is the inspector who was arrested for his alleged role in the custodial murder and cremation of Gade Sai Krishna.
“Kumar, who died by suicide after recording a selfie video detailing months of police harassment and naming former Krishna Lanka Circle Inspector Nagaraju and other police personnel, has become another tragic symbol of the collapse of the policing system in Andhra Pradesh,” said Jagan, in a press release.
The former CM visited Kumar’s family today and consoled the deceased’s family.
Describing Kumar’s family condition as “heartbreaking”, the opposition leader said they are mired in poverty.
According to Jagan, Kumar had no convictions against him, and minor cases registered nearly eight years ago had already been closed and no punishment had ever been imposed.
“Yet, he (Kumar) was forced to report to the police station every day for nearly three months, subjected to continuous harassment that ultimately drove him to take his own life. Such incidents demonstrate how dangerously the police system has deteriorated.” Jagan alleged that Kumar had been summoned to the police station every day for three months, subjected to harassment, and “forced by the police to do things he should never have been compelled to do.” “Despite such a clear video statement, “no action has been taken against those responsible,” the YSRCP chief said.
Further, Jagan highlighted that Kumar’s alleged police harassment and suicide occurred in the “state capital”, within a short distance from Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s residence and the offices of Vijayawada Police Commissioner SV Rajasekhar Babu, Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta and Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha.
Even after Kumar’s father personally showed the dying declaration video to the police commissioner following his son’s suicide, no action was initiated, Jagan claimed.
Seeking to know why those responsible continue to be allegedly protected, the former CM claimed that a “protection racket” is operating in the capital itself.
Referring to the disappearance of CCTV footage from Krishna Lanka Police Station, Jagan said two deaths had occurred within a month under the jurisdiction of this police station—one custodial death and one suicide.
“Yet, mandatory CCTV footage from the police station has vanished. One remand report states that footage from May 1 to June 1 is unavailable, while another report says footage for the past 18 months is missing,” said Jagan, questioning how CCTV footage from a police station could simply disappear and asked whether no backup systems existed.
According to the YSRCP leader, this clearly indicates that “illegal activities are being systematically carried out inside police stations, where people are assaulted, tortured and even killed, while complaints are simply ignored and discarded.” Lashing out at the TDP-led government for allegedly failing to register a case despite the seriousness of Kumar’s suicide, Jagan said an SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act case should have been registered.
The former CM promised that YSRCP would provide every possible assistance, including legal support, to ensure justice for Kumar’s family. PTI STH ROH
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Courtesy : The Print
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