Visakhapatnam: The death of a tribal prisoner, 45-year-old K Pottana, at the Visakhapatnam Central Jail has led to protests from his relatives. They alleged that the death was caused by police torture.
Pottana had been arrested and jailed under the NDPS Act from July last year. He died on Feb 6 at King George Hospital (KGH). The prisoner’s family alleged that he was tortured by the police during interrogation.
Pottana's family members staged a protest outside the collector's office on Wednesday, demanding justice to the family. His wife, Tulamma, said the police assaulted the prisoner during interrogation and this led to his untimely death.
In a police complaint, she noted that Pottana was arrested on suspicion of ganja smuggling and then tortured by the police force led by the district SP.
After arrest, Pottanna was remanded by a court for six months from July 27. On Tuesday, around 1am, jail officials notified her brother Shankar Rao that her husband was being transferred to KGH due to poor health. By 2am, they called the brother again to inform him that the prisoner was dead, his wife stated.
She said when her brother-in-law Linganna arrived at KGH, he captured a photo of her husband's swollen and blood-oozing face, and he shared this with the other family members.
When she reached KGH at 11pm, she said, “We found no police presence there. Despite requests to the hospital staff, we received no assistance to transport his body. She protested the delay in informing the family about his deteriorating health and demanded that justice be done to the family.
Central jail superintendent Kishore Kumar told Deccan Chronicle that Pottana was in good health when he came to the jail. “Pottana complained of breathing difficulties on Feb 6, prompting his transfer to KGH, where he eventually died of a heart stroke. There was no police brutality during interrogation,” he claimed.
