HYDERABAD: Sultan Bazar police registered a case against an ASHA worker, B Tirupathamma, for slapping SHO Srinivasa Chary during the protest at the Directorate of Medical Health office in Koti on Monday.
She is among 11 others who were booked under BNS Sections 126 (2), 127 (2), 221, 223 (a) and 132 r/w 3(5) for assaulting and obstructing on-duty public servants.
The chaos erupted in the afternoon when the police were attempting to disperse the protestors, who were demanding an increase in their remuneration to Rs 18,000 from their current salary of Rs 9,900. It is learnt that Congress had promised to increase the salaries of these workers during the election campaign.
ACP Sultan Bazar K Shankar told TNIE that the protest was provoked by the BRS leaders and functionaries, adding that the workers were permitted to protest on December 12.
“It was the BRS which called for this protest following which most of these women came out from various districts. As today was the first day of the Assembly session, the BRS leaders pressed the ASHA workers to sit on the roads till late night,” he said.
“When we asked them to vacate the road, they did not obey after which the personnel tried to disperse them. However, one of the protestors hit our inspector and constables,” the ACP added.
In the videos that circulated on the internet, Tirupathamma was seen crying for help as her leg was stuck in a vehicle’s door before she slapped the SHO. Senior police officers and women constables present at the site promptly intervened and escorted the workers to a nearby police station.
“We had locked the door properly. The woman is lying. If she claims that she was injured, how come she did not go to the hospital for a checkup,” the SHO told TNIE. However, there were a few injured protestors who were rushed to Osmania General Hospital for treatment.