Members of the Andhra Pradesh chapter of Human Rights Forum (HRF) have demanded justice for Peram Antony, an engineering graduate from the Scheduled Tribe community, at Tadepalli in Guntur district.
In a statement on Thursday, forum’s State secretary K. Sudha and Krishna district convener G. Rohith said the Tadepalli police found easy scapegoat in Antony and his friend Giri Sekhar of Scheduled Caste, in a theft case.
They said the duo was picked up by the Tadepalli police on May 26 from their home at Mahanadu Nagar and Antony was subjected to third degree torture for five days before they were let off, the HRF members alleged. “Unable to bear the physical pain and mental trauma, Antony attempted suicide on May 30 by consuming rat poison, but timely medical attention saved his life. Before consuming the poison, he messaged his elder sister about his intention who in turn, called and informed her mother who rushed Antony to hospital.”
Pointing to the fact that only an ‘abetment to suicide’ case was booked in the Tadepalli police station, the HRF members demanded that Sections pertaining to kidnap (Sec. 363 of IPC), wrongful confinement (Sec. 342), institution of false legal proceedings against a member of Scheduled Tribe and a member of Scheduled Caste (Sec. 3(1) (p) of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act), abusing a member of a Scheduled Tribe (Sec.3 (1) (s) of SC/ST Atrocities Act, committing offence against a member of Scheduled Tribe punishable with imprisonment of life under IPC (Sec. 3 (2) (v) of SC/ST Atrocities Act be added in the case.
They also demanded that the Sub-Inspector of the Central Crime Station, Ongole, Kamalakara Rao, and three constables who played a role in the incident be named accused and DSP A. Prasad be divested of his duties and a probe be ordered against him.
Compensation sought
They sought adequate compensation for Antony and his family.
A two-member fact-finding committee of the HRF visited Tadepalli and Ongole to ascertain facts in the case. They said after a thorough investigation, it was proved that Antony had no role in the theft case in which he was rounded off by the police and subjected to torture.
The HRF members said the government should take serious note of such custodial violence and initiate stringent punishment to those resorting to it.