A Dalit man was beaten and his head tonsured at Seethanagaram police station, in Andhra Pradesh's East Godavari district on Sunday night. The incident occurred after the victim, Prasad, was taken to the police station following an alleged confrontation with a local YSRCP leader.
Prasad was admitted to the Rajahmundry government hospital for treatment.
A sub-inspector and a constable have been suspended and the police have also registered a case against Prasad for stopping the truck of a local YSRCP leader.
"My relative had passed away on Sunday. We were performing the last rites. During this, a truck was trying to move through my street. As last rite formalities were taking place, I and three others stopped the movement of the sand truck and we asked the truck driver to wait for some time until the body was moved from the place. This led to an argument," Prasad told reporters.
He added that an hour after the incident took place, the YSRCP leader came to his residence and issued threats for stopping his truck.
"A day after this incident, sub-inspector police Shaik Feroze Shah, along with two other constables, took me and two others to the police station for investigation," He added.
Prasad alleges that the SI had punched him and thrashed him with a belt. "The SI later called a barber, got my head tonsured, and my moustaches removed," he said.
Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu, while reacting to the incident, said that 'jungle raj' had returned to Andhra Pradesh.
"Vara Prasad's head was tonsured by leaders belonging to YCP in East Godavari District's Seethanagaram Police Station. All this happened in the presence of policemen who heckled and beat the man to a pulp, destroying the self-esteem of a Dalit man. His only mistake was to question the illegal sand mining in the region," he wrote on Twitter.
He further questioned why the Andhra Pradesh police had become "toys in the hands of corrupt ruling partymen."
"This is a serious violation of rights. Telugu Desam will stand with Vara Prasad and make sure those responsible for this barbarian act be strictly punished," he added.
The Andhra Pradesh DGP has initiated an inquiry into the matter and suspended the SI and constable over allegations of beating the man.
Comments
0 comment