Telangana: Worker dies in police custody

Hyderabad: A 27-year-old farm labourer died due to alleged police harassment at the Zaheerabad police station in Sangareddy district. A case of custodial death has been registered. On Wednesday afternoon, based on credible information, the Zaheerabad police picked up Jaipal Jadav for questioning over a suspected bike theft. In the evening, during police questioning, he suddenly collapsed. Cops called for a doctor who said that Jaipal had collapsed due to low blood pressure and asked them to shift him to a hospital. Jaipal was first taken to Zaheerabad Govern-ment Hospital, from where he was shifted to a private hospital in Sangareddy, where the doctors told the police that his condition was critical and that he needed to be shifted to Gandhi Hospital. He was declared dead at Gandhi Hospital.

Zaheerabad DSP Nallamala Ravi said that Jaipal was an accused in several cases and was remanded to judicial custody twice. “He was arrested in two cases in 2016 and two cases in 2017. He was picked up for questioning on suspicion and during interrogation, he confessed to stealing two bikes. The vehicles were also recovered from him,” the DSP said, adding that he collapsed due to low blood pressure.

“A case was registered and we are awaiting the autopsy report. All the allegations made by the victim’s family are baseless,” the DSP said. Jaipal hailed from Sarjaraopeta tanda in Sangareddy district and was a farm labourer in the same area. Police registered a Custodial Death (176 CrPC) and the body was handed over to the family after the autopsy.

Family alleges torture by cops:

Although the police claimed that Jaipal died of ill health, his family alleged that he was tortured by cops since Sunday and he died due to that. They said the cops also abused his mother and grandmother when they requested them not to beat him. The family said that on Sunday after Jaipal’s father Dharasingh, mother Dharmibai and wife Nirmala Bai went for their work, Jaipal was playing with some youth near a temple in the village. Two cops came there and on seeing them the group started running. The cops chased Jaipal, caught him and started beating him. They brought him to his house. When his mother and grandmother asked them about why he was picked up they said he is suspected in a bike theft case. They requested the cops not to beat him. “We pleaded with them but they abused me and my mother-in-law,” his mother said.

After knowing that he was taken to the police station they initially thought that he would be let off after questioning. But when he did not return home they went to the police station on Monday to inquire and found that he was being questioned and would be let off on Tuesday. “When I went on Tuesday they said that he is giving the names of persons involved with him, and said that he would be let off after inquiry. On Wednesday midnight we received news that he is serious and is being taken to a hospital,” Jaipal’s father Dharasingh said.

Later, after knowing that he was shifted to Hyderabad they came to Gandhi Hospital only to know that he was dead. “He was a healthy man but suddenly his blood pressure came down. If he had only fell ill how did he suffer injuries to his left wrist, both legs and how did his clothes get completely torn. Zaheerabad police killed him and is creating the ill health drama to escape,” said Jaipal’s uncle Gopal Jadav. Jaipal is survived by his parents, wife and three kids all aged below 10.