HYDERABAD: For the first time in the state, chargesheets and investigation reports have been prepared in Telugu, a people-first initiative undertaken by Dundigal head constable Maloth Swaroopa to make legal procedures easier to understand for those unfamiliar with English.
A 2014-batch constable, the first recruitment after the formation of the state, Swaroopa completed investigations in two cases in 2025 and filed the chargesheet and final report in Telugu in local courts, with encouragement from her superiors.
Government correspondence is usually in English, forcing many citizens to rely on translations. Swaroopa’s initiative seeks to bridge that gap, a practice already followed in some northern states.
Speaking to TNIE, Swaroopa said it initially took more time as police personnel are used to drafting documents in English. “However, since Telugu is my mother tongue and communication language, I didn’t find it very difficult. From next time onwards, it won’t take as much time,” she said.
Dundigal SHO P Sateesh encouraged personnel at the station to file chargesheets and final reports in Telugu, though Swaroopa was the first to implement it.
In one case, related to illegal sale of liquor, Swaroopa filed a chargesheet in Telugu before the Medchal First Class Magistrate under the Excise Act. In another case involving a missing 35-year-old woman and her daughter, she filed the final report in Telugu and submitted it to Medchal ACP Shankar Reddy after tracing them.
Cyberabad police commissioner Masthipuram Ramesh Reddy told TNIE, “Complaints are usually lodged in Telugu but later documented in English, leading to delays. However, encouraging Telugu documentation could speed up disposals.”
Dundigal station house officer (SHO), P Sateesh, stated to TNIE that, “When chargesheets and remand reports are in English, complainants and accused often do not understand why arrests are made. Using Telugu helps them follow proceedings and even point out gaps in investigations.”
Recently, Swaroopa was appreciated by DGP B Shivadhar Reddy and TGCSB Director Shikha Goel for her contribution across various cybercrime cases at the station.