Cops near Charminar are being rude, allege visitors

HYDERABAD: The policemen on duty near historic Charminar are allegedly hyperactive when they deal with unsuspecting tourists who land at the iconic edifice at odd hours to film some moments of memory against the backdrop of the imposing structure.    

Some policemen, in their efforts to be loyal to the department, are allegedly stopping everyone, including visitors and those who work in shops and other business establishments around the city’s iconic monument, and subjecting them to all sorts of harassment.

With some of the lanes and by-lanes around Charminar turning into casual stopover for junkies and tipplers, the cops on duty, according to tourists, are unable to tell apart the genuine visitors and anti-socials who gather in the recesses of the historic conurbation.

While the visitors have a bunch of tales of police harassment to share, the cops have their side of the story too. According to police sources, taking advantage of the darkness, some anti-social elements, many of them workers who came to the city in search of jobs, stalk passers-by in the area during late night hours.

Despite daily frisking by Hussainialam and Charminar police, some of these people continue to indulge in illegal activities, a police official said.

“It was a bad time for me last week. It was late at night and I was returning home after work. I was stopped and questioned by five policemen, and one of the policemen raised his lathi and tried to beat me. I panicked and informed them that I was returning home. They allowed me to go after frisking,” Abdul Razak, a private employee said. 

He said the next day he came to know from his friends that the police were getting ‘strict’ because of some antisocial elements involved in consuming alcohol and drugs. “Since then, I stopped using that road,” he said.

A bangle maker, Amit Tyagi, said, “I and my co-workers return home late at night after working in a bangle manufacturing store. Some of the policemen talk very rudely. Most of us have been working here for the last 20 years, and harassment by police during frisking has been on the rise in the last six months.”  

According to Mohammad Ansari, sometimes, the enthusiasm of the policemen results in unsavoury incidents, as he witnessed two weeks ago. “Two weeks ago, a newly married couple from another state came to have tea at a hotel near Charminar,” he said. “It was 11.45 pm and the couple were not aware of the situation. As the woman was taking a selfie with her husband posing in front of Charminar, a group of police personnel arrived and grabbed her mobile phone,” he said. The couple followed the police till the temple at Charminar, pleading for the return of the phone and after some passers-by intervened, their phone was given back by the cops, he added. 

“We are doing our best to control the criminal activities near Charminar. Foot patrolling is done and cases have been booked against the persons who were found involved in illegal activities,” S. Mallesh, detective inspector of the Charminar police said. “We have also rescued several child labourers in collaboration with different NGOs. People should also cooperate with the police and give proper explanations while being questioned,” he said.