Medak custodial death: Man who died after being ‘tortured’ by cops laid to rest

Hyderabad: The 37-year-old Mohammed Qadeer Khan a daily wage laborer, was laid to rest on Saturday in Medak after he succumbed to his injuries on the night of 16 February. It is being alleged that the man died after he was tortured by the police while in custody.

In response to the allegations, Telangana DGP Anjani Kumar has directed Warangal IG Chandrasekhar Reddy to examine the case and take disciplinary action against the inspector and sub-inspector involved.

Sub-inspector P. Rajashekhar and constables Pavan and Prashanth have been identified as the three accused officers. AIMIM MLA Kausar Moinuddin, meanwhile, visited Medak and attended Qadeer's funeral.

TPCC president Revanth Reddy condemned the incident and an inquiry. He tweeted, “Last video of Mohd Qadeer which should be taken as a Dying declaration says Medak police beat him up for 5 days & how they tried to cover it up. I strongly condemn this atrocious act & demand SIT inquiry & ex-gratia of 50 lakhs to Qadeer’s family.”

Khadeer suffered damage to his kidneys, multiple fractures, dislocation of the spine, and renal fractures. A video showing Qadeer accusing a sub-inspector and two constables from the Medak Town police station has gone viral on social media.

Qadeer's wife Siddeshwari submitted a complaint to the Medak collector and district magistrate Rajarshi Shah on 9 February against the three accused cops and Medak SP Rohini Priyadarshini.

She alleged that her husband was “beaten black and blue” and pressured to confess to a gold theft case. She claimed that the SP threatened to put him behind the bars. Qadeer was finally handed to his wife by the cops on 3 February but he was unable to sign due to the severe beating. The cops later put him under house arrest and his health deteriorated, leading to his admission to Medak Government Hospital and then to Gandhi Hospital in Secunderabad.

Qadeer alleged that he was kept in custody for five days and beaten up by policemen, despite telling them he was innocent. He was hung upside down for two hours, given third-degree, and assaulted, and his hands and legs were not functioning. In order to save himself, he agreed to confess to the theft, but the cops demanded the recovery of the ornaments, which he said he did not have. He was also threatened that his family being would be stripped naked and rats set loose if he did not get the ornaments.

Congress leader demands action

Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir urged that the State Government form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the killing of Qadeer Khan, who died as a result of terrible injuries caused by Medak Police personnel. He also requested Rs. 50 lakh in compensation for the victim's family.

The Congress leader criticized the Telangana Police for attempting to cover up the death in custody.

He said that Telangana was becoming the capital of 'custodial killings and torture'. "A Dalit mother Mariyamma and her son Uday Kiran were cruelly tortured by the police in Yadadadri Bhuvanagiri district in July last year, and two similar cases were afterward reported from Suryapet and Kamareddy districts," he added.

He also condemned MIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi for defending the KCR Government on all issues, including the custodial death of Qadeer Khan, who was picked by the police from Yakutpura, which is part of the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency.