ONGOLE: A tense situation prevailed for several hours at the Cumbum Police Station on Friday after the parents of deceased boy Lakshith, along with family members and villagers from Lingojipalli in Cumbum mandal, staged a dharna demanding a thorough probe into his death in front of the Cumbham Police Station. The family members of Lakshith along with the villagers demanded a thorough probe into the suspicious death case of Lakshith.
Protesters alleged that the police and government were attempting to close the case by declaring it a natural death due to starvation. They raised slogans and staged a dharna, demanding justice.
“The police claim that the boy lost his way while returning from the Anganwadi centre, wandered into the forest, and died due to lack of food and water. This is not convincing,” a family member said. “We strongly believe that something happened to the boy and it might be a murder. The police must continue the probe in this angle to find out exactly what happened to the boy. How could a little boy walk nearly 3 km and go missing for 48 hours before his body was found?”
They also cited media reports claiming that Superintendent of Police had briefed Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu over phone with the same explanation. “These stories don’t satisfy anyone,” a villager said. Family members also expressed suspicion about the post-mortem, which district medical officers reportedly conducted at the spot where the body was found. “Some medical officers unofficially told us there were no external injury marks, indicating a death by starvation. We doubt this version,” said another family member.
Circle Inspector (CI) Mallikarjuna and Sub-Inspector Narasimha Rao later pacified the agitators and assured them of a fair inquiry. “We have not received the autopsy report yet. Once we do, it may give us leads,” said the CI.
The CI added, “The Government or the Police didn’t give up the investigation of the case and they are still on the job. We are continuing the investigation from all angles. There will be no lapses, and we will resolve all doubts surrounding this suspicious death.”