Hyderabad: A 26-year-old man who was detained by the Hayathagar police while moving in suspicious circumstances died in an attempt to escape, police said. His family alleged that he died of torture.
A custodial death case was registered and an inquiry was ordered into the incident. Senior police officials said that based on the inquiry report, personnel found involved would be prosecuted.
Akkinepally Ganesh hailing from Munganuru was detained by a police patrol on Friday afternoon. His relatives said that he was taken to the police station on suspicion and was subjected to “third degree methods”. They said that when Ganesh collapsed, the police tried to pass it off as a natural death. “He died because of severe beating,” one of his relatives said.
Police said that Ganesh was found carrying iron rods, screw drivers, large numbers of cigarette packets and cash. During questioning he said that he was working as a driver and had come to Hayathnagar on some work, and that his vehicle was at Pochampally.
To verify his claims, a team of cops, including a head constable and three constables, took him to Pochampally in the patrol car. After reaching Pochampally, when they got down from the vehicle, he started running in an attempt to escape. While running he fell down and injured his ankle, police said.
“The police shifted him to a private hospital where doctors declared him dead. Inquiries revealed that he had committed a theft at Choutuppal and was going home. There are witnesses to this theft,” a senior police official said.
Police said that Ganesh was a habitual offender and was recently arrested in a theft case in Jangaon district and was out on bail. There is also a suspect sheet against him at the Munugode police station in Nalgonda district.
A custodial death (176 CrPC) case was registered at the Pochampally police station where Ganesh fell down. A theft case was registered by the Choutuppal police Hayathnagar police registered a case of property seizure.
