A couple and their two children attempted suicide at the office of the Director General of Police office on Wednesday evening due to alleged torture by retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Subbanna and other police officers over a land dispute.
Daakshayini (32), husband K Mahesh Bhupathi (38), daughter Vidya (17) and son Chandan (11), residents of K R Layout in Tumkur, consumed poison at the office of Nrupathunga Road. They collapsed near the reception around 4 pm after handing over a complaint letter.
They were immediately shifted to St Martha’s Hospital opposite the DGP’s office. All are in the ICU and the doctors said their condition is critical.
Prior to the incident, the couple called a press conference and alleged that retired ACP Subbanna had ganged up with Daakshayini’s brothers and cheated them. Further, the family said in a press release: “We are being tortured so much that we have decided to commit suicide by drinking poison in public. We hope we will get justice through a CID inquiry at least after our death.’’
The family had complained earlier against Subbanna and Daakshayini’s brothers Kantaraju, Somashekhar and Amaresh, and other police officers in Tumkur over a dispute involving land worth `20 crore.
They had approached the Tumkur SP, the Bangalore commissioner, the DGP, the home minister, the state Women’s Commission, the state Human Rights Commission, the Lokayukta and even the Governor, but got no results, they claimed.
Subbanna told Express: “They think nobody will take action if they complain only against their brothers. They have dragged my name in, in the hope that I will force their brothers to part with the property. Otherwise, I am not involved at all.’’
Additional commissioner of police (law & order) Kamal Pant said: ‘’A complaint has been registered against the retired ACP in Ulsoor Gate Police station. The Investigating Officer (IO) will take further action.’’
The IO, Parameshwara, said: ‘’We have registered a complaint on statements given by Vidya, the daughter of Mahesh and Daakshayini. We still have to take statements of the couple and will take custody of Subbanna if required.’’
St Martha’s hospital staff, meanwhile, informed the relatives of Daakshayini and Mahesh that the charges just for the ICU would be `10,000 a day. Shanmukha, brother of Mahesh told Express: ‘’The family is very poor and they have lost all money and land. They can’t pay the hospital charges. We hope the state government will help us.’’
Shanmukha’s further said: ‘’We requested the police to shift them to Victoria Hospital. But the police are refusing to do this, as they doubt their chances of survival in a government hospital.’’