Congress leader accuses police of misbehaving with tribal women

M Ajay Babu, the State coordinator of the TPCC campaign committee, raised objections to the arrest of M Samelu, the general secretary of Kothagudem DCC.

Khammam: TPCC campaign committee State coordinator M Ajay Babu objected to the arrest of Kothagudem DCC general secretary M Samelu in connection with an attack on police by tribals in Khammam district on Sunday.

He said Khammam police arrested Samelu at Mothe toll gate on Khammam-Suryapet highway following a complaint by forest officers. However, Samelu was not present on the spot and was not connected to the attack on the police by tribals, he claimed.

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He informed that forest officers lodged a complaint with police alleging that around 38 tribal folks resorted to attack on forest personnel and Samelu was behind it. Following the complaint, police arrested him and 40 tribals booking them in an attempt to murder case and in eight other sections after the incident.

The police resorted to lathi charge and abused women in vulgar language while arresting them. The clash between the tribals at Buggapadu village of Sathupalli mandal was among Congress and Communist factions who were fighting over rights over the podu lands in question, he said, demanding that the police be booked under the SC/ST Atrocity Act for abusing tribal women.

Condemning the attack on police, he said CI Kiran Kumar who was beaten up by tribals was in mufti dress and tribals could not recognise him as a police officer. In addition to that some police personnel misbehaved with women, and used force while controlling the clashing tribals and that was why they were compelled to revolt, Ajay Babu said.

Meanwhile, CPI (ML) New Democracy state secretary Aavunuri Madhu demanded that the government should be held responsible for the Buggapadu incident. The incident was a result of dual policies adopted by the Forest Department. Cases against tribals should be dropped, he said.