*Another youth lost, YSRCP demands action against police excesses*

Tadepalli, June 18: YSRCP SC Cell Working President Kommuri Kanaka Rao on Wednesday demanded a comprehensive investigation into the death of Kranti Kumar and sought the registration of cases under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the police personnel held responsible. Addressing the media at the YSRCP central office in Tadepalli, he said the deaths of Gade Sai Krishna and now Kranti Kumar point to a disturbing pattern of police excesses and harassment in Vijayawada.
Kanaka Rao said police stations in Vijayawada have turned into centres of intimidation and custodial abuse, with the latest tragedy exposing the deteriorating state of law and order. He stated that Dalit youth Kranti Kumar died by suicide after prolonged harassment by Krishna Lanka police and left behind a video statement saying that continuous persecution by the Circle Inspector and police personnel drove him to take the extreme step.

He questioned how police could repeatedly target and harass an individual instead of allowing the judicial process to take its course. If cases existed against Kranti Kumar, it was for the courts to decide, he said, adding that no police officer has the authority to intimidate or hound a person outside the framework of law. He noted that Kranti Kumar’s father approached the Police Commissioner with a complaint detailing custodial harassment and caste discrimination, but no meaningful action was initiated against those responsible.
Kanaka Rao said the fear of repeated police summons and sustained harassment over the past three months pushed Kranti Kumar to end his life. He demanded that the government conduct a thorough inquiry into the incident and immediately register cases under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the Circle Inspector and all police personnel responsible. He urged the government to ensure strict legal action so that such incidents are never repeated and public confidence in the rule of law is restored.