Centre rejects AP police stations in Hyderabad
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has rejected a proposal of the Andhra Pradesh government to establish two police stations in Hyderabad. The Centre has made it clear that the Andhra Pradesh government will not have any territorial jurisdiction over Hyderabad in terms of law and order.
Union Home Secretary L.C. Goyal conveyed this to Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan this week, according to sources in the office of the director general of Telangana police. “We were told that there will be no question of AP setting up its own police stations in Hyderabad,” a senior official in the DGP office said.
The issue was brought to the notice of the MHA when Telangana DGP Anurag Sharma called on Goyal in Delhi last week. Sharma informed Goyal about a resolution passed by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s Cabinet to set up two police stations, one for maintenance of law and order of AP employees and another for investigation of criminal cases in Hyderabad.
The cabinet okayed a decision to hand over all the cases to a special investigation team (SIT) headed by DIG Mohammad Iqbal.
However, Iqbal told the government that he cannot proceed with the investigation unless he has the cooperation of Hyderabad police, as the scene of offence is in the city. As Hyderabad police have refused to extend support, Andhra police have summoned regional heads of eight mobile phone companies to Vijayawada for interrogation. This did not lead to any major breakthroughs as the call data demanded by Andhra police falls under the jurisdiction of Telangana. “Only a proper investigation in Hyderabad can give us some clues, otherwise, we will be groping in the dark. For this we should have powers to inspect the offices of these mobile phone firms,” Iqbal said
The AP government wanted its police to exercise territorial powers in Hyderabad for two more cases — a criminal case (for breach of peace and harmony and promoting disaffection between people of two states) against two Telugu TV channels, T News and Sakshi TV, who aired alleged audio tapes of Naidu in the cash for vote scam.
When a police inspector and some constables from Visakhapatnam served the notices to the CEOs of the channels Sunday in Hyderabad, there were loud protests from media persons as well as Telangana parties. Telangana CM K. Chandrashekhar Rao rushed to the Governor to register protest.
AP police, while investigating a criminal case filed by Mathaiah Jerusalem, an accused in the cash for vote scam, alleged that he was threatened by KCR of dire consequences if he speaks out. Mathaiah also alleged that KCR has taken a bribe of Rs 1 cr from MLA Stephenson, for nominating to the Assembly under the Anglo-Indian quota.
Andhra police want the cooperation of their counterparts in Hyderabad for this case as well. In normal course, any outside police will have to take the help of local police to serve summons or arrest people. But, under the circumstances, there is no possibility of Telangana cooperating with Andhra police.