Telangana BJP files abetment to suicide complaint against KCR over RTC driver’s death

Srinivas, the TSRTC driver, had set himself on fire and suffered 90% burns, before he died at a hospital in Hyderabad on October 13.
Telangana BJP files abetment to suicide complaint against KCR over RTC driver’s death
Telangana BJP files abetment to suicide complaint against KCR over RTC driver’s death
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A police complaint on abetment to suicide over the death of the TSRTC driver D Srinivas Rao has been filed with the Hyderabad police against the Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and the state’s Transport Minister P Ajay Kumar. The complaint was filed by a Hyderabad-based High Court lawyer on Monday, who also happens to be a BJP spokesperson.

Kasimshetty Karuna Sagar, a high court lawyer and a spokesperson for the Telangana a BJP, on Monday, filed a written complaint with the Kanchabagh police station implicating KCR and P Ajay Kumar for abetment to suicide of Srinivas Rao.

Srinivas, who had been a TSRTC driver for over 20 years, set himself on fire shortly after the October 12 noon press conference by the state’s Transport Minister reiterating the state government's stand that the TSRTC would not be merged with the state government and instead will be privatised. He had suffered 90% burns and died shortly after, at a hospital in Hyderabad. 

The TSRTC employees across the state have been on strike from October 5 with a set of 26 demands. However, the state government, instead of initiating talks, has adopted strong-arm tactics by unofficially terminating close to 50,000 TSRTC employees. The state’s Chief Minister also laid out plans to privatise public transport in the state shortly after. Apart from Srinivas, another RTC driver Surender Goud reportedly killed himself after the Transport Minister’s press conference on October 12.

Speaking to TNM, Sagar said, "The police have received the complaint. Police say a case was already registered in Khamman with regard to the death of the TSRTC driver's suicide, so the Kanchanbagh police have transferred the complaint to the Khammam police and they will add my complaint to the suicide case. I have filed the case based on the declaration of the deceased Srinivas, who had said before dying that he set himself on fire due to the statement made by the government that the RTC won't be merged with the state government and that all employees on strike have been terminated. We want to prosecute based on abetment to suicide.”

The Khammam district police are yet to receive the complaint through official channels. The Khammam town 2 police station sub-inspector Uday Kumar told TNM, "We haven't received any copy from Kachanbagh PS yet. When we receive it, we will take action over it. This is a unique case and we will take action based on facts after verification and discussion with senior officers," said the officer. When asked if the statements made by Srinivas as cited by the BJP spokesperson would be considered as evidence, the officer said, "Sorry I don't think Srinivas made any statement like that. If there is evidence, we will act accordingly.”

Under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code, a person abetting suicide of another person is punishable with up to 10 years of imprisonment and is liable for a fine. This is a non-bailable offence. A person is considered guilty for instigating or being part of a conspiracy to make someone commit suicide or if a person intentionally helps the victim commit suicide by doing an act or by not doing something that they are bound to do.

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