Stung by criticism from Dalit organisations and some of his own cabinet colleagues over the manner in which former minister P Shankar Rao was picked up for questioning by the police on Thursday, chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy ordered a CID probe into the episode.
However, while the government ordered a probe into the treatment of Shankar Rao, the Musheerabad police registered cases against the former minister for obstructing public servants from discharging their duties and indulging in criminal intimidation.
With the Shankar Rao episode boomeranging on them, the police took pains to explain that they had no intention of arresting the former minister but only wanted to question him.
They alleged that it was the minister who abused them and threatened to kill the inspector leading the posse if he became the chief minister.
According to sources, the chief minister summoned DGP V Dinesh Reddy and Cyberabad police commissioner Dwarka Tirumal Rao in the morning and asked for an account of the events.
Sources said the chief minister expressed his displeasure at the manner in which the matter was handled. The former minister was physically hauled into a police van though he was clad in a shirt and a lungi.
Dalit organisations raised a hue and cry over the incident and deputy chief minister Damodar Rajanarasimha and textiles minister G Prasad Kumar called on the chief minister at Secretariat to remonstrate.
Speaking to reporters later, Prasad Kumar said the chief minister expressed regrets over the incident. “The chief minister told us he had no prior information that Shankar Rao was to be arrested,” he said.
The chief minister assured them that a senior police officer would probe the matter and the police officials who treated Shankar Rao roughly would be suspended, Prasad Kumar said.