HYDERABAD: In an incident of police high-handedness, the sub-inspector (SI) of Atmakur police station in Yadadri district allegedly assaulted a youngster during a Durga idol procession on Wednesday.
As the youngsters were throwing gulal (colour powder) at each other, some of it ended up falling on the SI. Irked by this, the SI and his colleagues, who were posted at the village for bandobust, unleashed violence on the group. In addition to abusing the youngsters, they also allegedly dragged a youth’s mother through the ground, when she tried to rescue her son. The Rachakonda commissioner of police (CP) has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Atmakur SI K Yadagiri, a few constables and other armed personnel were supervising the bandobust.
According to police officials, as the group was taking out the procession, they were asked to speed up so as to make way for another procession coming on the same route. But the youngsters, who were allegedly in an inebriated condition, threw gulal at the police personnel and started abusing them. One police constable named Vishwaroopa Chary, who is also posted at the Atmakur police station, was injured amid the scuffle.
“When the cops tried to catch one of the youngsters, he ran to an adjacent lane, where he fell down and suffered injuries. But the villagers have now submitted a complaint against the police personnel, alleging that they have assaulted them. These allegations are being inquired into,” said the police officials.
However, locals from Pallerla village, who were taking out the procession, say a different story. According to them, the colours fell on the SI by accident, which angered the official. The cop then caught hold of the youth Srikanth who threw the gulal, and allegedly slapped him. Though a shocked Ravinder tried to escape, the constables and armed personnel chased him and rounded him at an adjacent lane and pounced on him. “They beat him with lathis and kicked him with their boots. Even as he was crying for help, they continued their brutality,” said Ravinder’s mother Yashoda.