Priya's Killer Suspected to be a Psycho, Behaves Well with Cops

General hatred towards people is what made Karan Kumar brutally kill six-year-old T Priya Darshini in full public view at the Secunderabad railway station on Tuesday. Investigators said that Kumar, who is suffering from a chronic disease, began hating people after his relatives, friends and locals in his native reportedly ostracised him from the society due to his illness followed by his strange behaviour. Meanwhile, AP Lokayukta justice B Subhashan Reddy on Wednesday directed the Railway SP, Secunderabad, Sarvasreshth Tripathi to appear before the Lokayukta and give an explanation before December 16 in connection with the incident. It was on a petition filed by the AP Balala Hakkula Sangham that the Railways SP was asked to give an explanation. The Sangham also sought Rs 10 lakh compensation to the family. Sources associated with the investigation told Express that Kumar behaved normally with them soon after he was arrested. Quoting Kumar, sources said that he hails from Vijayapuram in Chittoor district and suffered ostracism due to his illness. ‘’This discrimination is what turned him into a psycho and he fled his village and ended up in Secunderabad railway station,’’ sources said adding that there was no specific motive to kill the girl. Sources further said that, Karan Kumar was in love with a woman in his native village but she reportedly rejected his proposal. This, they said, was also one of the causes why Kumar developed hatred towards people at large. ‘’He also claims that the locals used to throw stones at him in his village but all this is yet to be verified,’’ they said. SP, Railway police, Secunderabad, Sarvasreshth Tripathi said that there was no particular motive for Kumar to commit the offence. ‘’The accused might have been upset due to personal issues. The accused also told the doctors that he is suffering from a disease. His villagers who came to know about his health-related problems, started discriminating him by not talking to him or avoiding him. He used to face such problems in his college where he was pursuing BA first year,’’ he said. Karan Kumar’s parents Govinda Swamy and Kanthamma admitted him in a hospital in Tirupati. However, he took some amount from his parents and ran away from the hospital sometime ago. The railway police produced the accused before the railway court and shifted to Chanchalguda Central Prison for judicial remand.
Security to be Beefed up at Rly StNs: SCR general manager PK Srivastava informed that they will give compensation as per rules to parents of the girl and will extend all other support if required. ‘’Such incidents give bad name to the SCR,” he said. He said that he spoke to the DGP and opined that strict action should be taken against the accused.  When asked about what kind of action is contemplated to avoid such incidents, Srivastava said, ‘’We will ensure that no unauthorised person other than ticket holders will be allowed in the station. We will also conduct a drive against hawkers, beggars and drunkards.’’

By Mouli Mareedu
moulimareedu@gmail.com

Doubts over safety at railway stations

Are our railway stations safe places for passengers? The murder of a 6-year-old girl by an insane man at the Secunderabad railway station on Tuesday makes one wonder whether railway stations are death-traps for passengers. If one enters the Secunderabad railway station through the main gate, one can notice many strangers and anti-socials misbehaving with passengers. Apart from some embarrassing incidents of street kids, clad in murky attire, begging, one can even see drug consumption in nooks and corners. Railway police superintendent Sarvasreshth Tripathi told Express that the railway police would take stern action against those involved in anti-social activities and said the murder of the girl, who went to the station with her father and grandmother, was the first of such crime at the station. “We will take the issue seriously and also have directed the railway police to be vigilant in all railway stations in keep tracking the movements of persons to ascertain as to whether they are genuine passengers or not. If railway police notice any drug addict inhaling ganja and other narcotic substances, we will bring them to police station and will provide proper counselling with the assistance of various NGOs,” said Tripathi.  Explaining the security measures that were taken by the railway police, Tripathi sought advice from the public for better policing at railway stations. “We strive to provide the best security to passengers and more CCTV cameras will be installed to track the movements of suspects,” the SP added. With a number of NGOs working with the railway police, the number of cases of drug abuse, theft and drinking at railway stations has come down in the past two years. The railway police are keen to work with other NGOs who strive to rescue runaway kids and street children. “We conduct frisking and do thorough checking at all entrances of the Secunderabad railway station regularly. We also seek public help to protect passengers and ensure their safe journey,” Tripathi said.

By Moule Mareedu
moulimareedu@gmail.com