Top brass go slow on wicked cops

HYDERABAD: The delay in submission of inquiry report in the case of the sub Inspector of Chandanagar, who beat up a Dalit man, shows how a cop is treated differently when he is involved in assault and dereliction of duty, whereas a common man would have been instantly taken into custody and sent for judicial remand.

Sub inspector of Chandanagar, P. Srinuvasulu, who was allegedly involved in assaulting a Dalit man for complaining against a food delivery boy who was stalking and harassing his daughter, was attached to headquarters and disciplinary proceedings were initiated against him on June 16.

The Cyberabad police commissioner officially stated that he initiated disciplinary action against Srinivasulu following allegations that he had threatened the father of a sexual harassment victim.“Srinivasulu allegedly threatened the father of a victim of sexual harassment, and asked him to withdraw a complaint. When the issue came to light, orders were passed to initiate an enquiry into the incident and attached the SI to the headquarters as part of disciplinary action,” said the commissioner.

“If it was a commoner caught doing this exact thing, the officials would have simply arrested him and sent him to judicial remand pending court hearing. Why is there a special treatment given to the police? The so-called ‘suspension’ doesn’t matter for them as they get to stay home and join back without a cause of worry,” said Atul Kumar, a city-based activist.

In the last six months, nine officials were placed under suspension in the city for reasons ranging from allegations of misconduct, corruption, involving in civil matters, moral turpitude, intimidation of a complainant, negligence towards their legitimate duties in the control of narcotics in pubs and bars, dereliction of duty and corruption in the investigation of double murder of realtors, apart from case of CCS Rachakonda, wherein inspector Devender was caught using the debit card of a businessman while he was in jail and withdrawing over Rs 5.5 lakh through different ATMs.

“The whole shebang about suspension is done to either appease the victims or if there is an outcry outside in the society. They either suspend, transfer or launch a departmental enquiry, which eventually falls flat as they do not gather ‘evidence’ backing the claim. There must be a black mark on the official for what they have done and the police personnel must be accountable for each and every case. A mere suspension is not the answer in grave offences. Dismissing an official will set an example to others from choosing corruption,” said Devi, an activist from Hyderabad.  

In the Chandanagar incident, the father of a minor girl was allegedly beaten up by Srinuvasulu, and was also coerced into withdrawing a complaint against the man who stalked, harassed and threatened his 16-year-old daughter in the name of love, apart from mentally and physically harassing to an extent of torching their vehicle.  The accused, identified as Aravind Nani, 24, who works as a food delivery agent, colluded with a ruling party corporator from Serilingampally, and has reportedly asked the SI to beat the man into withdrawing his complaint. The man, who is a daily wage labourer, approached the police to complain against Aravind Nani, a resident of Papireddy Colony of Sangareddy, stating that for the past five months, the girl, a Class X student, was tormented by Nani in the name of love. It was also alleged that Nani threatened to rape the differently abled sister of the minor, if she had not accept his proposal.

On June 15, after the intervention of Mahila Sangam, who gathered at the Chandanagar police station, the higher officials took up the issue and confirmed that they would be writing an inquiry report to the Cyberabad police commissioner Stephen Ravindra about the negligence of the sub inspector and requesting for his suspension. The accused was booked under Sections 11 and 12 of the POCSO Act, apart from Sections 435, 436, 354 and 509 of the IPC and arrested.