A probe has been ordered into the death of a Dalit man, Yaricharla Kiran Kumar, who allegedly died in police custody in the Chirala town of Andhra Pradesh, after being picked up police on 18 July for reportedly not wearing a mask.
Prakasam Superintendent of Police Siddharth Kaushal reportedly said that a case of custodial death under Section 176 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) had been registered and Guntur ASP Gangadhar had been appointed to carry out a probe as a special investigation officer.
Kumar breathed his last on the night of Tuesday, 21 July, several days after he was first taken into custody. While the family of the victim has alleged police brutality, police maintain that Kumar jumped out of the moving vehicle while being taken to the police station, and sustained head injuries, reported Hindustan Times.
According to the police, Kiran Kumar and his friend were stopped for checking on the night of 18 July. Allegedly in an inebriated condition, the duo entered into an argument with the cops over not wearing masks and assaulted a constable following which they were taken into custody.
Based on the constable’s complaint, The Hindu reported that a case was also registered against the duo under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 353 (criminal force against a public servant), 188 (disobeying order of public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection or disease) read with section 34 (act done by many for a common objective). Charges were also filed under sections of the Motor Vehicles Act and Disaster Management Act.
While Kumar was reportedly treated first at a government hospital in Chirala, he was later moved to a private hospital in Guntur.
An ex gratia of Rs 10,00,000 has been announced by CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to the family of Kiran Kumar.
(With inputs from Hindustan Times and The Hindu)
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