Four Telangana cops suspended over custodial death due to torture

Hyderabad: Four police officers in Telangana’s Medak district were suspended on Sunday over the death of a man in police custody following alleged torture.

Circle inspector Madhu, sub-inspector Rajasekhar and constables Prashanth and Pavan Kumar of Medak town have been suspended, Medak Superintendent of Police Rohini Priyadarshini said.

Inspector General of Police Chandrasekhar Reddy ordered their suspension, a day after Director General of Police Anjani Kumar ordered an investigation by a senior officer into the incident.

The DGP had directed the IGP to give the investigation to a senior officer of Kamareddy district and supervise the investigation.

The police chief also announced that disciplinary action has been initiated against the inspector and sub-inspector.

Daily wage labourer, Mohammad Qadeer, 35, on Friday succumbed to the injuries he had sustained due to torture by police.

The man was picked up from his sister’s house in Hyderabad on January 29 on suspicion of being involved in a theft case. He was taken to Medak where police allegedly kept him in illegal custody for five days and tortured him.

Qadeer was let off on February 2. His family alleged that he was tortured by police using third-degree methods.

Due to the alleged torture, Qadeer could not stand on his feet, and his kidneys were also damaged. On February 9, he was admitted to a hospital in Medak.

As Qadeer’s condition kept deteriorating, he was referred to Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad for better treatment. However, he succumbed to his injuries on February 17. He is survived by his wife and two children.

The body was handed over to the family members early Saturday morning after autopsy and it was later buried in Medak.