HYDERABAD: Alleging that the Yacharam police of Rachakonda commissionerate was harassing him and forcing him to sell his agricultural land, a farmer from Kishanpally village approached the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on Monday.
According to farmer Pala Venkataiah, Yacharam CI Madhu Kumar and SI Venkataiah had manhandled him and kicked him out of the police station, when he went there on July 3 to file a complaint against his cousin. Calling the allegations baseless, the police alleged that Venkataiah’s decision to approach SHRC was part of his propaganda to divert attention from the cases in which he is an accused.
As per Venkataiah’s complaint, his cousin Pala Maraiah was threatening him to sell the land. In this regard, Venkataiah and a few elders of the village had gone to the station to file a complaint against his cousin. “When we explained my situation to them, SI Venkataiah and CI Madhu Kumar told me that I should just sell my land to them. I was shocked, but stood my ground and told them that I would not sell my land even if I die. But the SI pinned me to the floor and kicked me.
He then dragged me out of the station and hurled vulgar abuses at me,” he claimed. Allegedly, when he told the officials that he would approach the commissioner, the cops claimed that it was the commissioner himself who made them do this. “The cops also threatened to cancel my bail. They then tried to scare me again by saying that they would torture me more by slapping new cases on me,” said Venkataiah. In his appeal, Venkataiah said that he was facing threats from the police, and sought justice.
Meanwhile, Yacharam CI M Madhu Kumar said that Venkataiah and four others had attacked his cousin Mariah two months ago, for which he was arrested. He is out on bail now. “A few days ago, he damaged a wall belonging to Mariah. We were going to summoning him to probe into this when he started this propaganda to divert attention from the cases against him,” the CI said.