Daijiworld Media Network - Madikeri (SP)

Madikeri, Jan 1: A youth from Mangaladevi Nagar in the town ended his life by hanging. The victim has been identified as Jayakumar (24), who was working for a private firm at Bengaluru.

Jayakumar's relatives have accused Periyapatna police of brutally torturing the youth, which they said, forced the youth to end his life out of humiliation. Relatives of the deceased along with leaders of several Dalit organizations held protest in front of the mortuary of the district government hospital here on Monday December 31. They also insisted on registering a murder case against the guilty police failing which they said they would not allow postmortem of the mortal remains.

Dileep, a medical practitioner from near Koppa, Kushalnagar in Kodagu district, had been murdered on December 9 by someone who smothered him. In this connection, Krishna, an autorickshaw driver from Mangaladevi Nagar here, was arrested by Periyapatna police. On December 25, Krishna's children, Jayakumar and Chandrakanth, too had been taken away by Periyapatna police in the guise of questioning. It is said that the duo was let to go after intensive interrogation in a home stay facility near Koppa.

It is being claimed that six people had thereafter visited Krishna's house, collected cellphone numbers of the family members and posed threats to them. Frustrated by this development, Jayakumar committed suicide at his residence, the relatives alleged.

District superintendent of police, Sundar Raj, held talks with the relatives of the deceased and Dalit leaders. The protesters told him that Periyapatna police had inflicted physical torture in the name of questioning. They said that under threat by the police,Jayakumar had killed himself. Sundar Raj requested them to drop their protest and allow postmortem of the body. He promised to look into police torture. He assured to hold discussions with higher ups in the department and take further steps as may be necessary. The people relented thereafter and withdrew their protest, besides paving way for postmortem.

Police circle inspector, Anoop Madappa, station house officer, Shanmuga, rural station house officer, Chetan, Mohan Maurya and H P Harish of Dalit organizations and some others were present.