The custodial death of a Dalit man has sparked an intense outrage in the state of Andhra Pradesh after the opposition parties have slammed the ruling Jagan Mohan Reddy led government against the police excess handling and attacking the Dalits in the state.

The fresh resentments have erupted after the death of a Dalit man identified as Yericharla Kiran, who died in the police custody on the night hours of Tuesday in Prakasam district of the state. Kiran was reportedly arrested and taken under the police custody for not wearing a face mask while he was riding his vehicle.

According to the reports, Kiran was arrested by the police on July 18 under the grounds of not wearing a mask, which was mandated to follow to curb the COVID-19 spread. He and his friend were riding in a COVID-19 hotspot of Chirala town in Prakasam district without wearing masks and helmet. According to the police, the duo was stopped and constable Rami Reddy had scolded them for violating the guidelines.

The police stated that the duo was under the influence of alcohol and developed the altercation with the constable. Later, they were taken under custody by Sub-Inspector (SI) Vijay Kumar. After being taken under custody, Kiran was taken to the Chirala Government Hospital after sustaining a severe head injury. He was then taken to a private hospital in Guntur for further treatments.

However, he has died at the hospital on Tuesday while he was under the police custody and his death has stirred massive outrage against what has become the shocking incident of police brutality. According to the police's version, Kiran has jumped out of the moving police vehicle while he was being taken to the police station following which he has got an injury in his head.

However, Kiran's family members refuted the assertion of the police and they alleged that he had died due to the head injury that happened due to the police beating. Following the development, Kiran's father has lodged a complaint against Sub-Inspector Vijay Kumar, and based on his complaint, Vijay Kumar has been booked under section 324 of IPC - voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons. 

The Andhra Pradesh government has launched the probe into the death of the Dalit man. Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy said that Rs 10 lakh will be provided to the family of the deceased as a solatium. According to the reports, the probe would be conducted by the Additional Superintendent of Police. On Wednesday, Chirala had seen an outrage following Kiran's death, leaving the government to deploy more police forces for the security measures.

Condemning the incident, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) General Secretary Nara Lokesh said that the police had thrashed Dalit Kumar with the view of receiving appreciation from the ruling party leaders. By stating that the police are attacking the Dalits like goondas, he questioned the prevalence of the law and order in the state.