The family of Telangana police sub-inspector V Ramakrishna Reddy, who killed himself early on Wednesday morning, allege that his superiors had been pressuring him for Rs 15 lakh in bribes, and this was what caused the SI to take his own life.
According to Som Reddy, Ramakrishna’s brother, the SI, who had been posted at the Kukunoorpally police station, had been depressed for nearly 15 days. He would regularly call his brother-in-law and tell him that his seniors were abusing and harassing him to collect large bribes.
On the day Ramakrishna killed himself, his brother-in-law Ram Reddy says, his wife called him at 10.30pm, and he spoke to her for only 10 minutes, saying that he would talk later. In that phone call too he repeated that he was under pressure and had to find a way to arrange for more money.
Ramakrishna reportedly left behind a suicide note in which he named 9 policemen including a DSP and a Circle Inspector as the cause of his death.
However, investigating officer ASP Pratap Reddy said that two anonymous complaints had been made against Ramakrishna of corruption. While the first complaint was made six months ago, the second one was received in June of this year. An inquiry committee headed by the DSP of Medak district was investigating these charges, said Pratap Reddy.
The policemen named in Ramakrishna’s suicide note allege that the SI committed suicide because he was afraid of being suspended on charges of corruption, and of his image being tainted by corruption charges.
However, Ramakrishna’s family allege that the SI was being forced to collect bribes by his superiors. “We belong to a rich and reputed family. Ramakrishna was not involved in any corruption,” said Som Reddy.
The anonymous complaints against Ramakrishna, say his family, have been fabricated in order to implicate him.
ASP Pratap Reddy said that the post-mortem report on Ramakrishna is awaited. His suicide note has also been sent for forensic examination. Call records of the deceased SI will also be checked. And statements of Ramakrishna’s family members will also be collected. The report would be filed once all the evidence was available.
Meanwhile, Ramakrishna’s family is scheduled to meet the DIG and the Home Minister, to demand a judicial enquiry into the SI’s suicide. They are also demanding that the policemen named in the suicide note be immediately arrested, and an unbiased and thorough inquiry be conducted. “No MLA or MP has as yet come to visit his family,” said Som Reddy.