Former constable sends Suryapet police into a tizzy

Timely action and use of technology prevent his ‘suicide’

A constable at the 12th Battalion Reserve Police at Nalgonda, who later resigned, gave Suryapet police a ‘test of time’ after posting a video on social media on Saturday.

Chivvemla police with two other teams, with instructions from SP R. Bhaaskaran, raced against time with technology by the side, to trace Madhusudan Reddy, who had just posed drinking from a pesticide bottle and declared that he would end his life. According to police, at around 6.30 p.m., soon after a police officer watched the video post, the drive to stop the suicide began. Based on the number of times and the people, the video was shared among, officials were able to trace the local area networks, and parallelly tower locations were narrowed down.

“The target location in Penuganchiprolu of Krishna district was identified, but he was not there and his cellphone was switched off,” the police said. Only once, when the cellphone briefly showed connection and later turned off, the police team then switched to tracking him by the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. And the new location was Vallabhi, about 20 km from Penuganchiprolu, in Khammam, where the local police after being alerted found him at around 10.30 p.m., drunk and riding a motorcycle. The apparent suicide was well prevented, thanks to police’s genuine efforts, but they also said it turned out to be a show by a ‘disturbed man’. He had not consumed any pesticide.

He has been living away from parents, wife and a baby, reportedly “for family disputes and disturbances”, and had also resigned his constable job. Chivvemla police said he was earlier booked for injuring a local dealer, and on Sunday he was booked for attempting to commit suicide. Director General of Police M. Mahender Reddy congratulated Suryapet police for efforts in tracing the person.

“Your response, right use of technology at the right time has saved a life and a family,” Mr. Reddy wrote on Twitter.