AP ST commission vows justice to tribal youth; police inaction criticised
Tirupati: The Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Tribes (ST) Commission member, Sankar Naik, has pledged to ensure justice for Mota Naveen, a tribal youth who was assaulted and urinated upon by his associates in Prakasam district on June 19.
Sankar Naik visited Ongole to meet the victim and his family. He told the family that the state government and the commission would ensure justice to them. Compensation will be provided to the victim as per the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, he said.
Meanwhile, ST organisations complained that the police did not take the incident seriously and remained inactive until the video of the inhuman act became viral.
Speaking to the media, Naik said the government took this inhuman incident very seriously. “This was an assault that demeaned the entire 40 lakh tribal community in the state. The commission will ensure that Manne Ramanjaneya Choudhary and the eight other accused are punished according to the law," he stated.
Earlier, Prakasam SP, Malika Garg, briefed the ST Commission member on the progress of the investigation and the arrest of the six accused, including the three minors. Naik advised the police to expedite the investigation and arrest the main accused and the two others who were at large.
He also urged the police to file the chargesheet in court as soon as possible.
Members of various tribal organizations, led by the Dalit Hakula Parirakshana Samiti’s Prakasam district president Nagender Rao, met commission member Naik. They sought a Rs 10 lakh in compensation to the victim.
They alleged that the police did not take the case seriously until the video went viral on social media a month after the incident.
The tribal organisations also requested that no bail be granted to the accused. They highlighted the struggle of the victim's mother in submitting petitions to the authorities.
In response, the ST commission member told them that the commission and the state government would support the victim in rebuilding his life and ensure justice to him.
