Missing Witness, Re-Postmortem Plea Deepen Gangamma Case
Officials have reportedly been unable to trace Gangamma's daughter in Badinehal village.
Kurnool: The alleged custodial death of Mala Gangamma has taken a fresh turn, with her daughter, considered a key witness in the case, remaining untraceable despite the High Court directing authorities to provide her protection.
Officials have reportedly been unable to trace Gangamma's daughter in Badinehal village. Villagers believe she may have left the village several days ago fearing further police questioning, though there is no official confirmation.
The High Court directed the authorities to provide protection to her daughter and file the medical report of Begari Dargappa in a sealed cover. Dargappa is undergoing treatment after allegedly being subjected to police torture during the investigation.
Meanwhile, counsel G. Siva Prasad Reddy for Gangamma's family, alleging custodial torture led to her death, has sought a re-postmortem examination, saying a fresh forensic examination is necessary. Gangamma was buried after her death on May 31.
Gangamma, a resident of Badinehal village in Kowthalam mandal, allegedly died after being questioned by a special investigation team (SIT) probing the disappearance of her son, Veerendra.
Veerendra went missing in November 2024. Seeking justice, Gangamma approached the High Court in 2025. Acting on her petition, the court ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by then Guntur Additional SP K. Supraja to investigate the case.
During the investigation, the SIT questioned Gangamma and Begari Dargappa after suspecting that Veerendra's disappearance was linked to an alleged extramarital relationship between them. Allegations later emerged that both were subjected to severe custodial torture during interrogation.
On June 16, social activist K. Agaman Raju filed a public interest litigation in the High Court alleging that Gangamma died due to police assault.
Civil society organisations, including Jana Vignana Vedika, conducted a fact-finding visit to Badinehal village and alleged that Gangamma died due to police torture. Questions have also been raised over the presence of police personnel during her burial, further deepening suspicions surrounding the case. Legal experts believe the developments could tighten the case against the police officials involved, drawing parallels with previous custodial death cases. A tense silence prevails in Badinehal village as the investigation continues to unfold.