Hyderabad: Women took to the streets in large numbers at Karmanghat on Saturday to demand justice for tribal woman Vadithay Sri Laxmi, who was forcefully taken to the LB Nagar police station and beaten up. Political leaders from the Congress and BJP also demanded strict action.
Protesters, raising slogans, sought financial support for her medical treatment, strict action against all police personnel of the LB Nagar police station and a public acknowledgement from the state government and minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy over the incident.
Senior Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao, after visiting the victim at the hospital, likened it to the incident of violence women in Manipur were subjected to. “I am here, not as a politician, but as a human being. We demand justice for her and also support for their family, as her elder daughter is getting married on August 30,” he said.
“We have pooled in Rs 5 lakh for her. We demanded financial support from the police department as well and they responded positively. If they do not keep their word, we will take it up again,” he said.
BJP’s Dubbak MLA M. Raghunandan Rao slammed the tribal welfare minister Satyavathi Rathod and district incharge minister Sabitha Indra Reddy for failing to visit the victim. Demanding the strictest possible action against the LB Nagar station house officer and all personnel involved, he warned of BJP taking to the streets if the state government failed to act on the incident.
The BJP also demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident, as well as an unconditional apology from Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao to the victim.
BJP’s Huzurabad MLA Etala Rajendar said: “Everyone involved in Laxmi's torture must be booked under the SC, ST Atrocities Prevention Act and arrested.”
Rajendar also accused the police of underhanded behaviour, alleging they threatened people in Gajwel, Chandrashekar Rao’s constituency, on Friday for demanding two-bedroom houses as promised to them.
“What are senior police officials doing by staying silent on such issues? Is this a tacit approval of such acts by police officials at the ground level?” Rajendar asked.
