HYDERABAD: A bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T Vinod Kumar, on Thursday, directed the Advocate General to produce before the court CCTV footage from the Gachibowli police station dated July 7, 2023, the day a security guard employed at a construction firm died, allegedly due to police brutality. The court was hearing a suo motu PIL based on a report published by TNIE with the headline “Alleged custodial death in Gachibowli station”.
Nitish Kumar, the security guard hailing from Bihar, was employed at a construction firm in Nanakramguda, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Gachibowli police station. He was brought to the police station after he intervened to prevent construction workers from leaving the premises after 11 PM, in accordance with company rules. A scuffle ensued, leading the Gachibowli police to detain him for questioning.
Kumar died soon after Rapolu Bhaskar, a practising advocate, wrote to the Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, requesting its intervention regarding the alleged custodial death.The advocate sought a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the security guard’s death, a compensation of Rs 50,000 for the dependents of the deceased, and appropriate action against the police personnel responsible for his demise.
Chief Justice Alok Aradhe, after considering the Additional Advocate General’s assertion that Kumar’s demise resulted from a cardiac arrest — a stance supported by a medical report — instructed the Advocate General to produce the relevant CCTV footage. This footage would be reviewed by the judges, either within their chambers or in an open court session, the Chief Justice said. Following a comprehensive review of the arguments presented, the court decided to adjourn the case for a period of three weeks.