Telangana's Nizamabad ACP to investigate custodial death of cybercrime accused

NIZAMABAD: ACP L Raja Venkat Reddy was appointed the Investigation Officer (IO) by the Nizamabad commissioner of police (CP) in the alleged custodial death case of Alakunta Sampath.

He was arrested by cybercrime police on March 4 and died on the night of March 20 while undergoing treatment at Government General Hospital (GGH), Nizamabad.

The death prompted allegations from his relatives that the 31-year-old, a native of Anthargov village in Peddapalli, was a victim of custodial torture.

Nizamabad cybercrime police arrested Sampath based on a complaint that alleged that he lured unemployed rural youth to Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, where they were forced into cyber slavery.

Following the postmortem on Friday, samples were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Hyderabad. The FSL report is key in the investigation as it will reveal internal injuries to the deceased.

The ACP said that the One Town police in Nizamabad registered an unnatural death case. The investigation will begin on Sunday, he stated, adding that all documentary evidence will be studied and he will speak to the deceased’s family members.

He added that the magisterial inquiry into the case has been completed.