Alleging possibility of departmental bias and foul play in the probe into the suspicious custodial death of Parupalli Ramunaidu at Atchuthapuram police station, the Human Rights Forum (HRF) has demanded that the Atchuthapuram police and the Yelamanchili police inspector be kept away from the ongoing investigation.
HRF members who went for a fact-finding mission on Sunday also demanded that the investigation be handed over to the CB-CID to rule out departmental bias, citing that there might be the possibility of coercing the witnesses and tampering with material evidence by the police.
Fact-finding mission
A three-member HRF team on Sunday met Ramunaidu’s family members, the Atchuthapuram police, Yelamanchili police Inspector, and visited the Atchuthapuram police station where Ramunaidu allegedly hung himself with a coir rope from a hook in the bathroom door in the early hours of April 25.
Ramunaidu, a resident of Cheemalapalli village in Atchuthapuram mandal of Visakhapatnam district, was among the five accused in one Penta Appa Rao’s alleged murder case registered at Atchuthapuram police station.Appa Rao was reportedly murdered on April 3, and as per the police, Ramunaidu had confessed to committing the crime before the Village Revenue Officer (VRO). Police said Ramunaidu, accompanied by the VRO, surrendered before the Atchuthapuram police on April 24.
Later in the evening on the same day, Ramunaidu led the police team headed by Yelamanchili police Inspector K.K.V. Vijaynath to the scene of offence and showed them the oil that was used to burn the body of Appa Rao. Ramunaidu and the other accused had allegedly burnt the body of Appa Rao.
The police showed the HRF team the video clippings of Ramunaidu reconstructing Appa Rao’s murder at the crime scene to the police. Twelve hours later, his body was found hanging. “The police claim that Ramunaidu had smuggled the coir rope into the police station and hanged himself in the bathroom,” said HRF district president M Sarat.
Foul play alleged
However, HRF State general secretary K. Sudha said the turn of events raised doubts about the possible suicide theory as the presence of the remaining four accused in the police station on April 24 and 25 had not been mentioned in the FIR.
According Ms. Sudha, there seems to be a deliberate move to include a few witnesses and exclude others. “For instance, Ramunaidu’s son told our team that a policeman in plain clothes picked his up father up and took him to the station on a two-wheeler while the same person stated in the complaint that the VRO took Ramunaidu to the police station. Here is a contradiction in the statements,” she said. The moot question is why did Ramunaidu choose the police station for committing suicide after surrendering. He could have done it elsewhere, if guilt was said to be the reason, said the HRF team.
NHRC gudelines
According to the team, the NHRC guidelines have not been strictly followed in filing of autopsy report. The police contention is that this issue is being addressed by the medical officer concerned who performed the procedure.
The HRF also pointed out that Section 176 (1-A) of CrPC mandated that all custodial deaths should be probed into by a Judicial Magistrate or a Metropolitan Magistrate rather than an Executive Magistrate. “We urge the Collector to ensure that a Judicial Magistrate enquires into the death,” said Ms. Sudha.
