Three police officers of the Addagudur police station, allegedly involved in the custodial death of Dalit woman A. Mariyamma last month, were dismissed from service on Tuesday following an inquiry, Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat said in a brief statement on Wednesday.
“Sub-inspector V. Maheshwar, constables M.A. Rasheed Patel and P. Janaiah, who were placed under suspension, were dismissed from service under Article 311 (2) (b) of the Constitution and 25 (2) of the TS Civil Services (Conduct) Rules,” it read.
Mr. Bhagwat had placed the officers under suspension on June 22, four days after the 45-year-old woman died in custody allegedly because of torture during a robbery investigation. Her son Uday Kumar and his friend Shankar, who were also picked for the probe, suffered injuries in custody and were later admitted to hospital.
Mariyamma, hailing from Chintakani mandal of Khammam, had been a maid at a church father’s residence and church at Govindapuram in Addagudur. She was suspected of theft and based on M. Bala Showry’s petition, a probe was ordered.
According to Mariyamma’s daughter Swapna and son, she was picked up by men in plain clothes and beaten up at Chintakani police station. After keeping her overnight at Addagudur police station, where she was not offered any food, and tortured, she collapsed around 10 a.m. on June 18. Following vital signs observed by a local RMP at the station, Mariyamma was taken to Bhongir Area Hospital, where she was declared dead around 11.30 a.m.
The incident came to light 12 hours later with the intervention of Pradesh Congress Committee’s (PCC) Scheduled Castes Cell, which protested the police’s alleged torture leading to the death, their high-handedness at the hospital and rushing the body to Khammam for final rites.
But soon, with the PCC amplifying the incident, the Telangana High Court hearing a PIL instructed the magistrate of Aler for a probe, and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao too, directed officials for inquiry and announced a job, ₹35 lakh ex gratia and house as compensation to the victim’s family.
Bhongir DCP K. Narayana Reddy said Mr. Bhagwat’s orders for service dismissal of the officers were based on preliminary findings by inquiry officer Malkajgiri ACP N. Shyam Prasad Rao. However, a full investigation and report were yet to be completed, he said.
In addition to the Rachakonda police’s inquiry, judicial probes ordered by the High Court and the District Collector are under way.
