Nerella 'custodial torture':DIG says 8 men were beaten up; cop suspended

A police inquiry into the alleged custodial torture of eight men in Telangana's Rajanna Sircilla district last month has revealed that they were brought to a police station and "beaten up", a senior officer said today.
He said a sub-inspector has been suspended for beating up the men in the police station.
"I have inquired into the incident and submitted a report to Telangana DGP. It is revealed that B. Ravinder, a sub-inspector attached to the CCS (Central Crime Station) in the district had brought the men to the police station and beat them up. He has been placed under suspension," DIG, Karimnagar Range, Ravi Varma said.

The eight men were arrested on July 2 for allegedly torching a sand-laden truck, which was involved in a road accident, causing the death of a man from Nerella village. They had allegedly attacked policemen after the incident.
The men were taken into custody on July 4 and were reportedly shifted from one police station to another in the district.
Some political parties and outfits had alleged the men were tortured while in police custody and were subjected to "third degree methods".

The kin of the victims had claimed they belonged to Scheduled Caste (SC) community.
The accused, lodged in the District Jail, were subsequently released on bail last month.

They had been booked under various sections of the IPC, including for attempt to murder, for allegedly attacking the policemen.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar had visited the Prison where the accused were lodged last month and demanded a judicial inquiry to find out veracity of allegations that they were illegally confined in a police station and subjected to third degree methods.
After Kumar's visit, Telangana BJP president K Laxman too called on the men and demanded a probe by a sitting judge into the alleged "custodial torture" of the eight "Dalits".
Laxman had said his party had reported the matter to the National Human Rights Commission and to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.