A 25-year-old man, who was caught for drunk driving, allegedly committed suicide at his home on Wednesday night by hanging himself allegedly because the police reprimanded him for habitually repeating the traffic violation.
The deceased was identified as S. Appala Raju, welder by profession and native of Vepagunta area under Pendurti police station limits in the city. The suicide of Appala Raju has sparked off a protest from the parents and relatives of the victim at Vepagunta citing that police were responsible for the youngster taking the extreme step.
Sources said Appala Raju was caught for drunken driving at Vepagunta when he was returning to home from the welding shop on his two-wheeler.
The traffic police of Pendurti booked a case against Appala Raju and seized his two-wheeler. As Appala Raju was caught for the third time for the same offence at the same spot, the police scolded him and allegedly also beat him up.
After reaching home, Appala Raju narrated the enter episode to his parents and entered his room and locked it from inside. Suspecting something was wrong, when parents of Raju entered the room by breaking open the door, Raju was found hanging from the ceiling fan.
Blaming the police for the death of Raju, parents and relatives of Raju staged a protest at Vepagunta on Thursday morning and lodged a complaint against the traffic police. Inspector of Pendurthi J. Murali said they have registered a case under Section 174 of CrPC and investigation is on.
Murali said Raju was caught for drunken driving more than three times and he had taken the extreme as he was admonished.