The Weekly
Observer Volume 14 | Issue 14
BRIEFS
Trafficked Nepali girls rescued from India 300 girls rescued from brothels every year.
Page 2 Slum dwellers denied homes as local leaders demand bribes. 350 families living in sheds as local goons occupy land.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Two months after suicide, family awaits justice as suspended cops still on the run EXCLUSIVE Shruti Suresh
T
hree police officers accused of beating an auto driver to death are still on the run - two months after the victim hanged himself. A post mortem report on Pradeep Ehearanna, 27, obtained by the Weekly Observer, details almost a dozen different and significant injuries on his body. Pradeep allegedly hanged himself at home as he could no longer cope with the beatings meted out by three police officers at Kempegowda Police Station, according to his family. His grieving father also claim they paid the cops a
Page 3 Transgenders face assault by male prisoners Lack of separate cells for transgenders post Supreme Court verdict.
Page 4
C.D. Nagaraj, the absconding inspector.
Rs 10,000 bribe to have Pradeep released from custody. Eight weeks after his death, the family is still fighting for answers and senior police officers have failed to track down the three accused, who fled the station and have not been seen since. Pradeep committed suicide on August 23, unable to bear torture meted out to him by three policemen at Kempegowdanagar Police Station. The post-mortem report obtained by the Weekly Observer states that he had ten deep injuries on his face, arms and legs. He was beaten up throughout his detention in police custody. Pradeep’s twin brother, Sandeep, said: “He was arrested by the KG Nagar police and was tortured by them. Three of them were involved and they are absconding. We are fighting for justice.” The report states there were sharp marks on his neck and behind his ears where he was hit. There were also deep bruises on his arms, thighs and buttocks. He was hit on his chin and behind his ears. According to Sandeep, they are fighting a legal case against the three policemen who beat up Pradeep. According to Pradeep’s father, Ehearanna the police demanded and received Rs. 10,000 from his family on August 21 for his release and also demanded Rs. 5,000
Pradeep who committed suicide in August after abuse by policemen at K.G. Nagar station from his employer. A tenant in Pradeep’s building, Sudha said: “I have been living here for the past six years. The lady on the first floor accused Pradeep of trying to rape her. She had moved in only two days before that incident while her husband had moved in 15 days back. The claims were not true. We have known Pradeep and his family for long. There was a misunderstanding.” Pradeep had apparently gone to tell his tenant, a woman, who has now vacated the flat, not to accumulate garbage on his building’s terrace. Misunderstanding his approach when her husband was not at home, the woman filed a complaint that he tried to sexually assault her. Sandeep said: “We have the post-mortem reports from the Victoria Hospital. The reports show that he
was tortured while in the police station. The three men accused Inspector C.D. Nagaraj and two constables Prathap Kumar and Manjunath are still absconding.” C.D. Nagaraj has applied for anticipatory bail which he hadn’t got, and he has been on the run since the time he was suspended. Commissioner of Police, M.N. Reddi said, “We are trying to trace them and a couple of teams have been assigned to trace them. We will double up the effort. I have no idea about the case as it is being handled by the Joint Commissioner and the area DCP.” When questioned about the absconding police officers and the action of police for the past two months, the DCP of South Zone, Lokesh Kumar, said, “The investigation is still on, the absconding police officers have not been found.”