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Telangana: 52-year-old held for poaching kills self in police custody

HYDERABAD: A 52-year-old picked up by Manthani police on charges of poaching, allegedly killed himself inside the police station toilet on Tuesday. A case of custodial death has been registered while doctors have performed an autopsy.


The deceased — S Rangiah of Ramaiahpalli and Ramagiri mandal in Peddapalli district — was arrested as part of a poaching gang on May 24.

“The accused were trying to set up live electric traps in the forest area near Lakkepalli. We have registered a case against them under the Wild Life Protection Act and relevant sections of the IPC. We have issued them a notice under section 41-A of CrPC and released them at around 11 am on May 24,” Godavarikhani ACP Umender said.

At around 2 am on May 26, Manthani police team saw the same gang moving suspiciously near the forest area and brought them to the station. “The police team started proceedings to bind them over under Section-109 of CrPC. At around 4.30 am, Rangaiah, sought permission to go to toilet. He went to the toilet in the police station compound and hung himself to the ceiling rod with a stole wrapped around his head,” Ramagundam commissioner V Satyanarayana said.

As Rangaiah did not come out even after half an hour, police forcibly opened the toilet door and found him hanging. “Rangaiah was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead. He was not tortured...We suspect that he was upset about cases being registered against him and ended his life,” the commissioner said. According to police, Rangaiah was earlier involved in two poaching cases in Karimnagar.

“We have registered a custodial death case under CrPC Section-176. An ACP-rank officer of another zone will conduct probe into the incident,” the commissioner said.

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