Four days after the death of 59-year-old suspect in a theft case in the washroom of M.K. Doddi police station, four police personnel who were on duty at the time of the incident were suspended on the charges of dereliction of duty and negligence on their part on Saturday.
The accused officials, ASI, Nagaraju, Constables Pratap, Lakshmi Narayana and Somanatha, were on duty when Ramesh was allegedly found dead in the washroom of the station on August 20 .
Ramesh, a habitual offender was arrested on the charges of stealing a donation box of a temple in a rural part of Channapatna.
The police had arrested Ramesh along with associates, Manju and Srinivas and taken them into two days custody for further investigations and recovery.
Ramesh reportedly went to the washroom and was found dead. The family members alleged that he was beaten to death and it was later made to look like suicide .
Superintendent of Police, Srinivas Gowda clarified that it was a case of suicide and no foul play, and there was no dereliction of part of the duty. However, sources in the department said that the suspended personnel failed to do their due diligence of ensuring security of the accused in custody, and following the SOPs while handling the accused, which resulted in the death.
The case has been referred to the Criminal Investigation Department.
(Those in distress or those having suicidal tendencies can call Arogya Sahayavani Ph.: 104 for help.)
Published – August 24, 2025 07:35 pm IST