Political rivalry and political influence angle emerges in the lock-up death of Karle Rajesh

The custodial death of Karle Rajesh, a Dalit youth from Telangana, has triggered political controversy. His family and MRPS leaders allege that police illegally detained and tortured him for five days to implicate former BRS MLA Bollam Mallaiah Yadav in a Chief Minister’s Relief Fund irregularities case.

Hyderabad: Is the custodial death of Karle Rajesh, a dalit, taking a political turn? It appears so his illegal custody and torture for five days was an attempt to implicate former BRS MLA Bollam Mallaiah Yadav in a Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) irregularities case.

According to his family members, the police used third-degree methods on Rajesh only to make him confess about the role of the BRS former legislator, but he did not yield to the pressure and in the process breathed his last.

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This was the startling disclosure made by the deceased person’s mother Lalitha and Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) president Manda Krishna Madiga who called on the DGP B Shivadhar Reddy on Tuesday and demanded a probe into the charge and registration of criminal cases against policemen involved.

The alleged CMRF irregularities were reported in 2022 and the police in their over-enthusiasm at the behest of a senior Congress leader and MLA from erstwhile Nalgonda had picked up Rajesh and tortured him.

Rajesh’s mother Lalitha and the MRPS president submitted a detailed memorandum and evidence to the DGP and urged him to initiate stern action against all those involved in the case.

Recalling the agony before the DGP, Lalitha said the police constable Rama Rao and Home Guard Narsimha Rao had picked up Rajesh on November 4. However, the police claimed they took him into custody on November 9.

“Later, the police took Rajesh to Kodad and Chilkuru police stations and I carried a lunch box to the police stations. If my son was not in police custody for five days, then whom did the police offer the lunch box?” Lalitha asked.

She informed that after repeated appeals, the police had permitted her to get a glimpse of Rajesh in the lock-up on November 8. “Since November 4 to 9, the police severely tortured my son and action should be taken against the police officers involved in the case,” Lalitha urged the DGP.

Later, speaking to media persons, the MRPS president said Rajesh was picked up by the police without any complaint against him. For five days, the police took him into custody illegally and resorted to third-degree punishment.

Later, to cover up their mistakes, they even misled the court. The police even administered muscle-relief injections to Rajesh, resulting in his death, he charged.

The MRPS national president stated that there was enough evidence to prove the police atrocities and irregularities in the case. While presenting Rajesh before the court, the police had made another accused in the case Shekhar to administer an injection to Rajesh’s right hand. The syringe, injection bottle and other evidence have been secured, he claimed.

Manda Krishna Madiga demanded that surveillance cameras footage from Kodad police station, Chilkuru police station, court premises and other locations should be examined. Similarly, the phone call data and location details should be made public, he insisted.

“The political involvement in the case should be investigated and a re-postmortem should be conducted on Rajesh’s body to unearth all the details,” Krishna Madiga demanded.

He also wanted the DGP to register murder and SC /ST atrocities cases against Chilkuru Sub-Inspector Suresh Reddy, Kodad Rural CI Pratap Lingam. Likewise, action should be taken on DCP and ACP for failing to book cases despite repeated appeals, he said.

DGP Shivadhar Reddy assured that investigation would be conducted into the incident and justice would be delivered.