The Human Rights Forum (HRF) has addressed an open letter to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu calling for police personnel responsible for alleged custodial deaths of suspects to be booked under IPC 302 (murder) and other relevant sections of the law.
Releasing a copy of the letter here on Thursday, HRF members said criminal investigation into cases of custodial torture must be done by an agency as independent of the police personnel concerned as possible. Mere departmental probe and the mandatory magisterial inquiry are no substitute for this lawful process, the letter stated.
The HRF called on the Chief Minister to comply with the Supreme Court and High Courts directives and expedite setting up of A police complaints authority at both the State and district levels. The rights body also sought the setting up of a State Security Commission and, among other things, fixing of CCTV cameras in all police lock-ups and interrogation centres.
The HRF has conducted fact-findings into nine cases of suspected custodial violence in the State by the police from December 2017 till November 2018.
It alleged that a total of nine persons, all from marginalised sections and mostly accused in theft cases, have died in lock-ups and detailed the manner in which they were allegedly tortured. In all cases, suspects were held in illegal custody for days on end and subjected to severe violence, the letter alleged.
Of the nine cases, criminal prosecution was initiated against policemen allegedly responsible, in only one.
The HRF demanded that a judicial magistrate enquire into all cases of custodial deaths rather than executive magistrates as is being done.
The meet was addressed by K. Sudha, AP State general secretary, Y. Rajesh, AP State secretary and VS Krishna AP, TS coordination committee member.