Tumakuru, 20 March

A 45-year-old man detained on charges of gambling died under suspicious circumstances at Huliyaru police station in Tumakuru district on Friday, triggering protests by family members and villagers who alleged that it was a custodial death.

The State government has transferred the case to the CID due to the claims of custodial torture. The deceased, Kantaraju from Yalanadu village, was among six people who were arrested in connection with a gambling case late on Thursday.

Police said he died when leaving the police station, but the exact cause is not yet known. 

Huliyaru police station Inspector PR Janardhan stated that a case of “natural death in the station” has been registered pending the post-mortem report. He said the detained individuals had been brought in for allegedly playing cards and maintained that no police personnel used force. “No one laid hands on him. It is possible that Kantaraju suffered a heart attack due to fear,” the inspector said.

However, family members and locals accused the police of assaulting Kantaraju, thereby causing death. They placed the body inside the police station and demanded strict action against police personnel.

SP Ashok quelled the protesters and promised that a thorough investigation would follow. “If it is found that police personnel were assaulted, Kantaraju, a custodial death case will be registered,” he vowed.

Home Minister G Parameshwara said that the case has been handed over to the CID and a post-mortem report is awaited to ascertain the exact cause of death.

“Things will be clear from the CID probe if he was beaten or anything else has happened,” he stated.