The surveillance cameras installed in Addagudur police station, where a Dalit woman — Mariamma — died in police custody on this June 18, were not working from May 27 to June 25, the State government said.
In a counter affidavit filed in Telangana High Court, which was hearing a PIL petition over Mariamma’s custodial death case, the Rachakonda police said cameras were installed in all 18 police stations of Bhongir zone by September 2020. In Addagudur police station, the cameras had a back-up facility for 20 days.
Cameras here stopped functioning from this May 27 due to cable damage. They got repaired and resumed working from June 25. These details were presented in a counter affidavit filed by Malkajgiri Assistant Commissioner of Police N. Shaym Prasad Rao in the PIL petition seeking judicial inquiry into Mariamma’s custodial death.
The petitioner sought a direction, among others, to secure video footage of the police station on June 18 when Mariamma was brought there along with her son Shankar and his friend. Police brought them there on charge of involvement in theft of ₹ two lakh from a church priest’s house where Mariamma was working as maid.
Advocate General B.S. Prasad informed the bench of Chief Justice Hima Kohli and Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy that body of Mariamma, which was buried in Khammam, was exhumed and a re-post-mortem examination of the body was conducted as per the HC direction. Already, the first autopsy was conducted by a team of doctors. The autopsy report was awaited.
The AG said the government had already dismissed from service Addagudur sub-inspector V. Maheshwar and constables Janaiah and Rasheed Patel. Their role was established in assault and wrongful confinement of Mariamma and her son Uday Kiran, the counter affidavit said.
The judicial inquiry by Alair First Class Magistrate into the custodial death, ordered by the HC, was in progress, he said. Compensations of ₹15 lakh to Kiran and ₹10 lakh to each of Mariamma’s two daughters were paid by the government in addition to a job to Kiran in Social Welfare department as subordinate.
The bench posted the matter to September 15 for next hearing and directed the government to furnish the reports of the second autopsy and the Alair First Class Judicial Magistrate in the matter.
