Nandyal suicide pact: Day after Andhra CM points finger at TDP lawyer, party chief demands CBI probe

Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], November 12 : A day after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) lawyer was defending the two policemen, arrested in the Nandyal suicide case, TDP National President N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), accusing the government of trying to suppress the fact that police had "terrorised and mentally tortured the family".
Autorickshaw driver Abdul Salam had died by suicide, along with his wife Noorjahan, daughter Salma and son Khalandar by coming under a goods train near Kaulur village in Kurnool district on November 3. A selfie video of the family came to light on November 7, in which Salam alleged harassment by Nandyal police in a theft case, in which he was not involved. Following this, the circle inspector and a head constable were arrested on November 8 but they came out on bail within 12 hours.
"We demand a CBI probe into the suicide pact of Salam and his family. The Nandyal police had terrorised and mentally tortured the family, forcing them to take the drastic step. It was only after the Nandyal police mentally tortured Salam, he lost all hope for his family. Their deaths seemed like animal sacrifices to the diabolical rule in Andhra Pradesh," Naidu said while addressing a press conference here on Thursday.
Naidu went on to describe the Nandyal suicide as "highly disturbing", saying that the psychological blackmail and torture tactics of the police led to the ghastly incident.
"This is reflective of the inefficient and insensitive rule of Jagan Reddy who has been discriminating and oppressing all sections of people. The minority family's suicide was just a culmination of a series of non-stop atrocities being committed against backward classes, Scheduled Castes, Schedule Tribes, and Muslims under Jagan Reddy's police raj. The government and the police tried to suppress Salam's case as just a suicide. Had his mother-in-law not released the selfie video, taken before suicide, this incident would not have come to light. It was only after the TDP tweeted on the incident that the government initiated action," he said.
He added Salam, prior to his death, had told his mother-in-law about the police threat. "He told her how the police threatened him to send him to jail again and that one policeman would be sent to his wife every day. His mother-in-law herself clearly stated this. Salam was first implicated in a false theft case and sent to jail. He came out of jail after 42 days and tried to earn his livelihood by driving an autorickshaw. Another false case was filed against Salam who was terrorised at the police station."
"The incident was very pathetic going by how the whole family underwent mental turmoil and even took a video before ending their lives. Salam's wife was a graduate and was working as a teacher in a private school. Their family was well-placed and had no reason to commit suicide. Complete loss of trust and confidence in the system pushed them to take the extreme step," he said.
He further demanded the dismissal of the circle inspector and the head constable directly responsible for abetting the suicide, besides suspension of the local deputy superintendent of police.
"If the DGP fails to act even now, it would lead to further erosion of trust in the system and such atrocities would continue to be repeated. Two IPS officers supervised Salam's case... which eventually led to filing a faulty remand report. The guilty policemen came out on bail within 12 hours," Naidu said.