Cop suspended for Nerella
The state government has finally acted in the Nerella incident, which was the subject of a major controversy, by suspending an inspector, holding him responsible for using excessive force against the villagers. Following the report submitted by Karimnagar range DIG Ravi Varma, North Zone IG Nagi Reddy issued orders on Thursday suspending Sircilla CCS inspector B. Ravinder.
On July 2, a sand-laden lorry hit and killed a local man B. Bhudaiah of Nerella village. This was the sixth death caused by lorries transporting sand from a local quarry. The death triggered a massive protest in which four lorries were set ablaze. The locals alleged that the police picked up eight men from their homes in Nerella, Jillella and Ramachandrapuram. They were not arrested but taken to an isolated place and subjected to torture for two days that left them with severe injuries.
Opposition parties decided to wage a united fight against the government for the police excesses on dalits, STs and BCs in the Jillella incident.
Participating in a roundtable conference, ‘Atrocities and attacks on Dalits’, organised by the SC wing of the Congress, TPCC president Uttam Kumar Reddy said an all-party delegation would call on DGP Anurag Sharma on Friday to ask as to why no FIR was issued under SC, ST Atrocities Act when the victims had lodged a complaint before the DSP Sircilla.
He demanded that all the guilty cops be suspended and booked. He said an all-party delegation would meet the President, the Governor, the NHRC and National SC, ST Commission. The government has finally acted in the Nerella incident by suspending suspending Central Crime Station inspector B. Ravinder for using excessive force against the villagers.
Villagers had been opposing the plying of lorries carrying sand and had wanted them to take another route from the nearby quarry which reportedly belongs to a close relative of minister K.T. Rama Rao.
The families of the eight
TS TD working president A. Revanth Reddy alleged that minister K.T. Rama Rao was “acting like a don of sand mafia”.
Telangana JAC chairman youths who were allegedly tortured complained to DGP Anurag Sharma. Rights organisations and political parties had demanded against Rajanna Sircilla district SP Vishwajit Kampati, Ravinder and 18 police personnel.
An inquiry was initiated and the result has been the suspension of just one policeman. Minister K.T. Rama Rao tweeted: “as promised, the inspector who was found to have used excessive force according to the DIG’s report has been suspended”. Prof. Kodandaram described the Jillella incident as a blot on the face of humanity. He said the sand mafia with their trucks was “plying terror" in Sircilla district.”