ONGOLE: Tension prevailed for some time at Pakalapallepalem village in Singarayakonda mandal with the villagers chasing and attacking the police following the latter trying to obstruct an obscene dance (with hizras) programme organised in the village as part of the Ganesh immersion procession late on Sunday night.
Villagers also flattened the tyres of a Tata Sumo vehicle of the police department and caused damage to it. Singarayakonda sub-inspector Ramanaiah and police van driver Upendra suffered injuries in the incident.
Taking a serious note of the incident, the police deployed additional forces in the village and are making efforts to arrest all those involved in attacking the police. As there are about 1,000 persons in the village at the time of the incident, the police found it difficult to identify the assailants.
When contacted by Express, Ongole DSP G Srinivasulu said that the SI, along with a constable and a driver, went to the village on a tip-off that a ‘recording’ dance programme was being organised in the village, and tried to stop it.
Though, the villagers initially dispersed from the place after the police obstructed the programme, later they came in a big group and launched indiscriminate attacks on the police personnel, he said.
The DSP appealed to the village elders and the programme organisers to hand over those involved in the attack to the police.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the police had identified the active role of about a dozen persons and are camping in the village to arrest them.
Despite the villagers rejecting the police appeal to hand over those who were involved in the attack, the cops are firm on taking stern action against the assailants. The police officials said they would leave the village only after taking the accused into custody.
The police have slapped cases against the assailants under Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 332 (causing hurt to deter public servant from his duties) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharging his duties).
Apart from the residents of Pakalapallepalem, a village dominated by fishermen community, people from its surrounding villages also came there to watch the programme and took part in the attack, police said.