Telangana: DGP orders inquiry into custodial death of 35-year-old

Hyderabad: Telangana director general of police Anjani Kumar on Saturday ordered an inquiry into the death of a man who allegedly died due to police torture by the Medak police while in custody. The incident took place in Medak district, and the deceased, 35-year-old Mohammed Khair, died in Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad on February 18.

“DGP has directed IGP Chandrasekher Reddy to give investigation to a senior officer of Kamareddy District . The IGP will supervise the investigation. Disciplinary action initiated against the Insp and Sub Inspector,” said a statement from Anjana Kumar, a day after the death of Khadir. On Saturday, All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MLA Kausar Mohiuddin attended Khaidr’;s funeral in Medak, and demanded that the police book the two cops involved in the alleged torture.

A 35-year-old daily wage labourer, Mohammad Khadir, on Friday succumbed to the injuries he had sustained due to torture by the police. In a statement while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Medak, he alleged that he was kept in custody for five days and beaten up by policemen though he kept telling them that he was innocent.

“The cops said the person involved looks like me,” he said. The police let him off on February 2 when he was unable to move his hands. They (police) asked him to tell others that he was kept in custody for one night. They also reportedly asked him to sign a paper and as he was unable to even hold the pen, one of the policemen signed the paper.

The body was handed over to the family members early Saturday morning after autopsy and it was later taken to Medak for last rites. Khadir’s death triggered public outrage. Local Muslim community leaders urged Bharat Rastra Samiti (BRS) MLA M. Padma Devender Reddy to take action against the policemen involved.

Subsequently, the AIMIM MLA spoke with the Medak Superintendent of Police (SP) Rohini Priyadarshini, demanding an investigation into the incident.

The SP transferred SI Rajshekar and the two constables, Pavan and Prashanth.

AIMIM MLA from Hyderabad, Kausar Mohiuddin visited Medak and attended the funeral on Saturday morning. He slammed the police for the restrictions imposed on the funeral and questioned if Qadeer was a “naxalite or terrorist”.

The MLA demanded that the three policemen involved in the case should be booked for murder. He said the FIR should be changed to include the names of the SI and the two constables.