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The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday, September 23, directed the state Home Department’s Principal Secretary, Director General of Police and other police officials in Vijayawada to explain the progress of the investigation into the death by suicide of Kranthi Kumar, who had accused a police officer of harassment.
A Bench of Justice Kuncham Maheshwara Rao was hearing a petition filed by Perupogu Venkateswara Rao, Kranthi Kumar’s father and president of the Andhra Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS). The petitioner has sought a CBI probe, alleging that his son took the extreme step following harassment by Krishna Lanka Circle Inspector SSVV Nagaraju.
Kranthi Kumar, 42, recorded a video on May 21, in which he said he could no longer endure the alleged harassment by Nagaraju. The video surfaced on June 18, the same day the inspector was suspended in connection with the alleged custodial torture and death of 25-year-old delivery worker Gade Sai Krishna.
In the video, Kranthi Kumar alleged that Nagaraju was responsible for his death and claimed he had been subjected to harassment and assault because he belonged to the Madiga community.
According to the petition, a case was registered on May 22, but there had been little progress in the investigation. Venkateswara Rao also alleged that police pressured the family to withdraw the complaint and claimed his son faced discrimination because he belonged to a Scheduled Caste.
Nagaraju has since been booked under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. While the State government had constituted a Special Investigation Team to probe Sai Krishna’s death, no similar special probe was ordered into Kranthi Kumar’s death.
The High Court directed police not to threaten or intimidate the petitioner and adjourned the case for six weeks.