Medak SP Rohini Priyadarshini reportedly sought more time from the commission, saying the case was before the Telangana High Court.
37-year-old Mohammed Khadeer Khan (left) and his son and wife. (Supplied)
G Siddeshwari, wife of Mohammed Khadeer Khan, who died of injuries allegedly sustained while in police custody, has deposed before the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) in New Delhi. She was in the national capital on NCM summons.
The Superintendent of Police (SP) in Telangana’s Medak district, Rohini Priyadarshini, was also summoned to Delhi.
Siddeshwari alleged before the commission that the police were lying in a bid to save themselves.
It was alleged that the police picked up 37-year-old Khan in a chain-snatching case on 29 January, and tortured him in custody.
The police say he was released the next day, but his family says that happened only on 3 February.
The man died of multiple injuries at the Gandhi Hospital on 16 February, and was laid to rest two days later.
Four policemen, including the station house officer (SHO) and sub-inspector, attached to the Medak police station were suspended following the incident. Later, the Telangana High Court suo motu took up the case.
In her statement recorded on 17 May, Siddeshwari accused the SP of lying.
Mohammed Khadeer’s wife Siddeshwari and three children. (Ajay Tomar/South First)
“The SP is saying that the police took Khadeer into custody on 29 January and released him the next day, 30 January. But I told the commission that she is lying as I have evidence. I showed them the video, and also the logs of the calls I received from the Medak Police Station on 2 February,” she told South First.
She added that after receiving the call, she went to the police station and brought Khadeer home on 3 February. “I have the evidence,” Siddeshwari said.
She alleged that SP Priyadarshini was “lying” about handing over the Khadeer to her sister and not her.
“I have all the evidence that I had gone to bring him home. I stored them in a pen drive and gave them to the NCM,” she said.
Khadeer’s wife G Siddeshwari filing a complaint in Medak police station. (Supplied)
She urged the NCM to ensure punishment for those responsible for her husband’s death, and justice for Khan.
“My husband was tortured on the suspicion that he might have committed a crime. It is not even like he committed it. He was beaten up so badly that he suffered fatal damages to his kidneys,” she said, adding that no compensation from the government would make up for her loss.
Based on the versions of three hospitals where Khan was treated, South First can confirm that he had suffered severe assault injuries.
“I don’t want this to happen to others,” said Siddeshwari while demanding the policemen’s dismissal from service.
.@KTRBRS, One Mohd Khadeer Khan-35 was picked up by Medak Police from Yakutpura,Hyd on 29th Jan as a suspect in a theft case & kept in illegal custody for 5 days tortured to third degree and later kept in house arrest denied medical help./1 @mahmoodalitrs @TelanganaDGP @spmedak pic.twitter.com/n7AgfAfVpU
— Amjed Ullah Khan MBT (@amjedmbt) February 9, 2023
Meanwhile, SP Priyadarshini reportedly sought time from the NCM, stating that the case is pending before the Telangana High Court.
Government District Hospital in Medak. (Ajay Tomar/South First)
The NCM, meanwhile, asked the Medak police to submit copies of the FIR, panchanama, and reasons why the cops illegally detained and tortured Khan.
It has also asked Priyadarshini to detail the action taken against the policemen who had detained him.
NCM member Telangana Shahezadi Syed, who had earlier visited Khan’s family, also asked if the Telangana government had offered or paid any compensation to his kin.
South First tried to reach the Medak SP. This report will be updated as soon as a response is received.
Meanwhile, the high court will next hear the case on 25 June.
A team of social activists raised a slew of demands and also presented a fact-finding report about the case to journalists at the Somjiguda Press Club on 1 March this year.
While raising their demands, the activists appealed to Telangana DGP Anjani Kumar to issue immediate orders to preserve CCTV footage from 29 January — the day Khadeer was allegedly arrested by the Medak police — to 16 February — the day on which the daily-wage labourer died at the Gandhi Hospital.
Hyderabad-based activists on 1 March made several demands in the alleged custodial death torture of Mohammed Khadeer Khan. (Supplied)
The activists also demanded that the Telangana government provide an ex gratia of ₹50 lakh to his wife and a government job.
They also demanded that the DGP invoke murder charges against the accused police officers along with the immediate transfer of the Medak SP.
“Another demand we have is to preserve the medical records of the three hospitals where Khan was admitted — the Government District Hospital in Medak, Renova Hospital in Kompally, and Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad,” activist SQ Masood told South First earlier.
Siddeshwari told South First earlier that the accused police officers took away Khan’s discharge sheets and other records from the hospitals.
“The DGP should also order to record the statements of doctors who attended to Khan as well as primary witnesses mentioned in the fact-finding report,” Masood added.
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