On 18 July 2020, when many states in the country were still under lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, Yericharla Kiran Kumar along with his friend Shiny Abraham were stopped at a police checkpoint, enroute Chirala from Kothapeta, in Andhra Pradesh.
Kumar’s family alleges that he was beaten up by the police for not wearing a mask, while some other reports suggest the duo were taken into custody after an argument broke out with the police. The police maintain that Kiran jumped out of the jeep while being taken to the police station, resulting in a head injury. Two days later, Kiran Kumar, who is a Dalit, lost his life at a hospital where he was being treated for the head injury.
Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy had at the time ordered an inquiry into the incident and announced Rs 10 lakh ex gratia for the family. A case of custodial death was registered, as per this report.