Auto driver lock up death: Telangana HC issues notice to state, DGP

Hyderabad: A Telangana High Court Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N. Tukaramji on Friday issued notices to the principal secretary (Home), DGP, CP Hyderabad, DCP north zone, ACP Gopalapuram, and SHO Tukaramgate police station and directed them to respond to the notices by 5 June.

Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, while hearing the suo motu writ petition on the death of an auto driver, Chiranjivi, at the Tukaramgate police station, opined, “I think the lower-level officers in the police department need to be sensitised…a third degree is not required during investigation…the deceased died due to third degree and this has to be brought on record.”

When the Chief Justice Bench issued notices, advocate general Banda Shivananda Prasad informed the court that the deceased Chiranjivi, an auto driver, is a repeat offender and six cases have been registered against him.

To this, Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said, “That is immaterial…the deceased died while in police custody and it is not acceptable.”

The Division Bench was hearing the suo motu case on the lockup death of Chiranjivi, an auto driver, in the Tukaramgate police station.

The High Court took up the case based on the print media news reports.

Chiranjivi, 32, a resident of Tukaramgate was a habitual offender (pickpocket).

On 25 April, the Tukaramgate police picked him up for questioning, and while picking him up from his house in Bhupesh Nagar, two police constables informed the man’s family that he would be sent home in 30 minutes after questioning.

But on 26 April, the police came to the man’s house and informed the family that Chiranjivi died in Gandhi Hospital while undergoing treatment as he got severe fits.

The Chief Justice Bench directed the Registry, High Court to tag the writ petition filed by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, represented by its general secretary Jaya Vindhayala and the wife of the deceased A. Manjula, seeking a direction to register a case against the police who are responsible for the death of Chiranjivi and a direction to the state to pay compensation of Rs. 3 crores to the dependents of the deceased.

The matter was adjourned to 5 June.