Andhra Pradesh auto driver suicide: Kin to get Rs 25 lakh; police seek bail cancellation of accused

VIJAYAWADA/KURNOOL : The State government on Monday announced an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh to the lone survivor of the family of Abdul Salaam, an auto driver of Nandyal who died by suicide along with his wife and two children recently.

The State police filed a bail cancellation petition in the court after Circle Inspector Somasekhar Reddy and head constable Gangadhar,  who were arrested in connection with the suicide case, were granted bail by the Nandyal court.

The police, in the petition seeking cancellation of bail, mentioned that the accused in question, are part of local law enforcement machinery and they may hamper the investigation by threatening the witnesses. The reasons mentioned for their bail cancellation include that the accused could force witnesses to turn hostile and intimidate new witnesses, who would otherwise volunteer to testify.

Further, the police stated that the investigating officers are in possession of incriminating evidence against the accused and the bail could give them an opportunity to hamper the investigation by threatening or coercing the witnesses. 

Guilty will not be spared in any case: Home minister Mekathoti Sucharitha

Further, the police informed the court that the accused policemen were booked under serious and non-bailable Section 306 (abetment to suicide) and pointed out that the selfie video of the family shot before it resorted to the extreme step, held the arrested responsible for their suicide pact. 

Announcing Rs 25 lakh ex gratia for the auto driver’s kin, which will be received by Madunni, mother-in-law of Abdul, Home Minister Mekathoti Sucharitha stressed that the guilty will not be spared in any case.

In a swift response, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the police to arrest the accused and conduct an indepth inquiry into the suicide case. The arrests were made within 24 hours after the Chief Minister personally directed the DGP to probe the matter, and IG Shankha Brata Bagchi and Guntur Addl SP Arif Hafeez were deployed to investigate the case, she said. 

She said that the Chief Minister made it clear that such incidents should not be ignored and stern action be taken. "Whenever any incident took place due to over enthusiasm of some police personnel in recent times, the Chief Minister intervened and initiated immediate action," she said and recalled the Sitanagaram Dalit youth head tonsuring and other incidents that took place in Chirala and Srikakulam, where immediate action was taken against the errant cops. 

The Home Minister said considering the fact that police personnel are working under tremendous pressure, the government has been giving them weekly-off. "Police have to question an individual when they doubt him, but it should be done in a transparent and unbiased manner," she said and added that general public can lodge complaints against the police, if they feel that false cases are foisted against them. 

A dedicated toll free number at the district level will be set up, where anyone can lodge a complaint if he or she is framed in any false case or facing any trouble from police in the name of investigation, she said. DGP D Gautam Sawang said they are conducting an inquiry into the allegations made against the police in the Nandyal incident and also into the allegations that Abdul was framed in a case earlier also. 

Two to three incidents of this kind have taken place in the State after this government came to power and it acted swiftly against the guilty, he said. The DGP said that they are trying to bring about a behavioural change in the police and it will take sometime to yield results. 

"When allegations are levelled against a police officer, apart from disciplinary action, criminal case is also being registered. Action is also being taken against them based on their misbehaviour and highhandedness," the DGP said.

Toll free number soon to lodge complaints against police

Home Minister M Sucharitha said a dedicated toll free number at the district level will be set up, where anyone can file a complaint if he is framed in any false case or facing any trouble from police in the name of investigation