Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh police filed a bail cancellation petition against the two policemen accused of driving a family of four to death in Kurnool district.
Incidentally, both the accused policemen, circle inspector Somasekhar Reddy and head constable Gangadhar, received bail on Monday, even though serious non-bailable sections were included in the case against them.
“As the accused in question are part of the local law enforcement machinery and are likely to hamper the investigation by threatening the witnesses, a bail cancellation petition seeking immediate cancellation of bail awarded to the accused has been moved,” said an official.
Some of the grounds cited by the state police for cancelling the bail include witnesses turning hostile as the accused could intimidate new witnesses and hamper the investigation by threatening the witnesses.
Incidentally, the investigating authorities are in possession of incriminating evidence against the accused, including the presence of eye-witnesses who point directly at them.
The police are also in possession of the video the family made before taking the extreme step.
On Sunday, Somasekhar Reddy and Gangadhar were arrested for abetment to suicide of Sheik Abdul Salam (45), his wife Noorjahan (43), son Dada Khalandar (9) and daughter Salma (14).
The four committed suicide last Wednesday by throwing themselves under a goods train due to alleged police harassment.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Mekathoti Sucharita stressed for the need of friendly-policing and said the guilty will not be spared.
She announced an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh to the lone survivor of the family.
Sucharita said Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy immediately intervened in the case, giving orders to arrest the accused, along with an in-depth enquiry.
She said the accused were arrested within 24 hours and Reddy personally directed the Director General of Police (DGP) Gautam Sawang about the case.
“Department action has been initiated against Somasekhar Reddy and Gangadhar who have been booked under the IPC Sections 306 (abetment to suicide), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means),” she said.
According to the Home Minister, the CM said that such kind of incidents will not be ignored and serious action will be taken.
The government is also planning to set up a dedicated toll-free number at the district level for people to complain if they are falsely framed in any police case or troubled in the name of investigation.
Sawang said action would be taken against the police if they harass people, including registering criminal cases against them.
