The Hindu : Dalit woman dies in police lock-up

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 25, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Dalit woman dies in police lock-up

By Our Staff Reporter

ONGOLE APRIL 24. A Dalit woman, Annavarapu Sridevi (20) of Maddipadu, the mandal headquarters town, is believed to have committed suicide by hanging herself with her sari tied o an iron bar of a window in the lavatory of the local police station while being in custody this morning. She is the estranged wife of one Venkat Rao of the same village.

She was brought to the station in connection with the death of her paramour, S. Meeraiah, who died under suspicious circumstances on April 21 night. Since then, the police have been taking her to the station every day for interrogation. As usual, she was brought to the station at 6 a.m. today. She was said to be suffering from diarrhoea.

According to the police, she asked them to allow her to go to the lavatory and hanged herself. During the inquest conducted by the Ongole RDO, O. Seshaiah, in the presence of the district Collector, R. Karikal Valaven, and presspersons, the victim's mother, Ravipudi Subbaratnamma, stated that she, too, was there when her daughter was going to the lavatory. After some time, on finding her daughter hanging from the window bar, she informed the police.

Meanwhile, the Superintendent of Police, Kumar Vishwajeet, who rushed to the station, announced suspension of the Sub-Inspector and the Station House Officer, P. Parandamaiah. He declared that action would be initiated against those cops who were present at the station at that time if they were found responsible.

The SP said: "This is obviously a suicide and what has prompted her to take such an extreme step will be enquired into.'' He admitted that the police should not have called the victim at the time when she was ill. The district Collector ordered a magisterial enquiry. He promised the victim's family that he would provide employment to one of the members of the family and would ensure other possible financial help.

A large number of Dalit activists and the CPI(M) district secretary, Tavanam Chenchaiah, gathered before the police station and demanded suspension of the SI and other cops and register a case against them under Section 302 of the IPC.

Chenchaiah alleged that unable to bear the police torture and humiliation Sridevi committed suicide. He demanded an enquiry by a sitting judge of the High Court. He charged the police with hushing up the case by threatening the victim's mother.

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