YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has accused the Andhra Pradesh government of allowing ‘police terror’, alleging that the relentless harassment of a taxi driver by the police had driven him to resort to the extreme step.
After visiting the bereaved family members of Kranthi Kumar at Krishnalanka on Thursday, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy assured them that the YSRCP would extend legal and political support until those responsible were brought to justice.
Meeting Kranthi Kumar’s wife, children and father, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy listened to their account of the alleged harassment faced by the deceased over several months.
He described the family’s condition as deeply distressing, saying the death had left three young children without their father and pushed an already impoverished household into greater hardship.
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that Kranthi Kumar had been summoned to the police station almost every day for nearly three months despite no conviction. He said minor criminal cases registered years ago had already been closed and that no punishment had ever been imposed. According to Mr. Jagan, the sustained harassment eventually forced Kranthi Kumar to end his life.
Referring to a selfie video purportedly recorded by Kranthi Kumar before his death, Mr. Jagan said the deceased had explicitly named former Krishnalanka Circle Inspector Nagaraju and other police personnel, detailing the treatment he was subjected to.
He questioned why no criminal action had been initiated despite what he described as a clear dying declaration.
The former Chief Minister also raised questions over the missing CCTV footage from Krishnalanka Police Station. Citing what he claimed were contradictory official records on the availability of footage, Mr. Jagan alleged that the missing recordings had raised serious concerns about police functioning and demanded an impartial investigation.
