Dalit woman tortured to death in Andhra Pradesh police custody
Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh: A 40-year-old Dalit woman, Mala Gangamma, died due to custodial torture by police in Kurnool district, triggering strong outrage and demands for an independent judicial investigation into the Special Investigation Team probe.
According to Kashmir Media Service, human rights organizations including the Human Rights Forum and Indian Federation of Trade Unions have said that Gangamma succumbed to “brutal police torture” carried out during questioning by an SIT investigating the disappearance of her son, Virendra.
The groups said, “Her life was lost due to police barbarism during custody,” and demanded a transparent judicial inquiry into the entire episode. Son’s disappearance case led to SIT probe. The controversy began in November 2024 when Gangamma’s son, Virendra, went missing.
Following a petition filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, an SIT led by then Guntur Additional Superintendent of Police K. Supraja was formed. Police later concluded that Gangamma and her associate Malla Durgayya were involved in Virendra’s murder.
HRF and IFTU have strongly disputed this claim, stating that police used illegal methods during interrogation to force confessions and locate Virendra’s body. A fact-finding team from HRF and IFTU visited Badinehal village and spoke with family members and residents before preparing its report.
The team, including HRF state vice president U.G. Srinivasulu, Kurnool district president K. Urukundappa, and IFTU representative Narasanna, said that Gangamma and Durgayya were subjected to severe custodial torture. Durgayya, the second accused, is currently undergoing treatment at a government hospital in Kurnool and is said to be in critical condition.
Activists raised concerns over delays in medical treatment, alleged suppression of injury reports, and the hurried cremation of Gangamma’s body on June 1 in Badinehal. They also questioned the heavy police presence during the last rites, alleging around 20 to 30 personnel were deployed. “At every stage, from hospital transfer to post-mortem, serious doubts have been raised about police conduct,” the groups said.
