Vijayawada: Hostel organisers, students clash at police station

Vijayawada: Tension prevailed at Penamaluru police station here on Thursday, when the supporters of a couple, who run a few hostels for men, attacked students and mediapersons. The students reached the police station to file a complaint against the hostel organisers and were asking the cops to register an FIR. While they were at the police station itself, the students were attacked by a few persons with rods.

The accused also attacked a cameraman and reporter. The problem started two days ago when a student vacated Chalapati Hostel, run by Srilatha and Sai Prasad. Even before the student could move out of the hostel, there had been an argument between Srilatha and the student over some hostel dues. However, the student shifted and stopped picking Srilatha’s calls. Infuriated at the negligence, Srilatha has allegedly attacked the student and snatched his mobile phone.

Enraged at the development, the student and his friends went to Chalapathi hostel to recover the mobile phone when Srilatha demanded that the dues be paid. The student refused to pay the amount quoted by Srilatha and said he owed them a lesser amount. This led to a heated argument when Srilatha and others tied up the student and beat him severely. The students rushed to Penamaluru police station and complained against the hostel management.

However, the police  did not register a complaint and this only added to the adamancy of the couple. CI Damodar refused to file a case, the students said.
This morning, the accused dared to attack the students and even damaged the camera of a TV new channel. The students alleged that Sai Prasad, claiming to be a BJP leader, even assaulted them.

Telugu Nadu Students Federation leaders have also reached the police station and said that Srilatha and Sai Prasad run two more hostels at the KLU engineering college. The journalists in Vijayawada staged a dharna in front of Penamaluru police station demanding the arrest of accused persons. They have alleged that due to Inspector Damodar’s negligence only, the accused dared to attack publicly. The police have taken Srilatha and Sai Prasad to the station and are enquiring them.