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Two criminal cases have been registered in Telangana’s Suryapet district against an inspector and a sub-inspector of police after a man’s death from alleged custodial torture. The deceased, Karla Rajesh, had been taken into custody by Chilkur police in November 2025 in connection with an investigation into the misappropriation of the Chief Minister's relief fund money.
The case goes back to November 2025, when, between 4 and 8 November, Rajesh was taken into custody for misappropriating relief fund money. According to the police, Rajesh’s bank account was used to divert funds illegally.
The police claimed that Rajesh's bank account was used by the prime accused in the case to divert funds illegally. Rajesh allegedly withdrew the cash and handed it to the main accused. During this period, he was reportedly harassed by Kodad inspector Pratap Lingaiah and SI Suresh Reddy between Nov 4 and 8, 2025.
Rajesh was remanded to judicial custody on November 10. His mother, K Lalitha, received a call from Huzurnagar sub jail informing her that her son’s health condition was serious. Four days later, Rajesh was shifted initially to the District Government Hospital in Suryapet and later to Hyderabad’s Gandhi Hospital, where he succumbed to injuries two days later on November 16.
Three weeks after Rajesh’s death, Kodad police inspector Pratap Lingaiah was suspended, and sub-inspector (SI) Suresh Reddy was transferred and attached to the district headquarters. The cases against both officials were registered under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.