Ongole: Youth's death in custody sparks row

Ongole: Dalit fronts in the Prakasam district demanded that the government announce ex-gratia for the kin of Peram Venkatrao, who was killed in the police custody, in a minor girl missing case. Meanwhile, SP Siddharth Kaushal suspended ASI Malyadri Reddy for negligence in keeping Venkatrao in his safe custody.

Dalit Hakkula Parirakshana Samithi leaders Neelam Nagendra Rao, Mohan Kumar Dharma, Duddu Vijay Kumar, Erukula caste leaders Peram Srinivasa Rao, Peram Sathyam, Yanadi caste leader Lakshminarayana, Kulavivaksha Vyatireka Porata Sangham leaders B Rahuram, V Moses and others demanded that the government announce Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia to the family of Peram Venkatrao immediately and prosecute the SI and ASI of Kandukur to serve justice to the family of the deceased.

The leaders and representatives of the SCs and STs alleged that the police and family of the minor girl planned and executed the death of Peram Venkatrao as an honour killing. They said that the police department is trying to protect the killers of the STs in the state by lending a hand to the others. They also said that though the Kandukur police tried to project the death as an accident, the Miryalaguda police didn't buy their version and booked it as a suspicious death.

Meanwhile, Kandukur DSP Kande Srinivasulu, Kandukur CI K Vijay Kumar and Kanigiri CI Venkateswarlu organized a press meet in Ongole on Thursday and explained that the family members of the minor girl, police staff including ASI Malyadri Reddy, a friend of the accused Peram Venkatrao went to Hyderabad after tracing the whereabouts of the couple and took them into custody.

In the return journey, Venkatrao complained of vomiting and after stopping the vehicle near Miryalaguda, he tried to escape, but met with an accident. The DSP and other police officials presented the lorry driver and friend of Venkatrao before the press and allowed them to explain what happened. However, the SP Siddharth Kaushal suspended the ASI Malyadri Reddy for his negligence in duty and failure in keeping the accused in safe custody.