PEDDAPALLI/HYDERABAD: Manthani town in Peddappalli district remained in the grip of tension on Monday as political parties and rights organisations intensified their demand for a fair probe into the suspicious death of Dalit youth Manthani Madhukar even as police decided to conduct another postmortem on Madhukar’s body.
It may be recalled that Madhukar was found dead on March 14. He and a woman belonging to a different caste, had survived a suicide attempt made after their parents refused to let them marry. Madhukar’s parents alleged he was murdered by the woman’s family.
Following allegations of a cover-up, Peddapalli Assistant Commissioner of Police Ch Sindhu Sharma was appointed Investigation Officer in the case. Sharma told Express that as per the wishes of Madhukar’s parents, his body would be exhumed and another postmortem conducted by forensic experts from Warangal’s Kakatiya Medical College in the presence of a Magistrate. Finance Minister Etela Rajender assured tough action but asked people not to be misled by material on social media.
Meanwhile, a host of leaders, including All India Congress Committee secretary V Hanumantha Rao, Telangana Aikya Vedika president Cheruku Sudhakar, former CPI MLA Gunda Mallesha, descended on the town and staged a protest in front of the Revenue Divisional Office on Sunday. They raised slogans against local TRS MLA Putta Madhu and MP B Suman and alleged the Manthani Circle Inspector was trying to dilute the case. Opposition parties joined Dalit organisations in alleging Madhukar was victim of a so-called “honour killing”. Telangana Joint Action Committee chairman M Kodandaram too sought a new autopsy. CPM state secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram echoed his demand and said CPM would send a fact-finding team to Peddapalli.