Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh has witnessed strong outrage after the death of a 40-year-old Dalit woman, Mala Gangamma, with human rights groups alleging custodial torture and demanding an independent judicial investigation.
Organizations including the Human Rights Forum (HRF) and the Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) have claimed that Gangamma died due to “brutal police torture” carried out during a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the disappearance of her son.
Calling for accountability, 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 Investigation
According to the background of the case, 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 was formed to investigate the case.
The SIT was led by then Guntur Additional Superintendent of Police K. Supraja. Human rights groups allege that during the investigation, police concluded that Gangamma and her associate Malla Durgayya were involved in Virendra’s alleged murder.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.