Harish Rao demands Revanth’s resignation over Shabad multiple murders

Former minister T Harish Rao blamed the Congress government and police for failing to prevent the Shabad multiple murders, alleging negligence in handling a prior POCSO case against accused B Raj Kumar. He demanded Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s resignation, compensation for the lone survivor, and immediate arrest of the accused.

Siddipet: Former Minister T Harish Rao held the Congress government responsible for the six murders reported at Shabad town on Friday. Harish Rao demanded Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy resign from the post since he was holding the Home portfolio as well. 

He also demanded the government to deposit Rs one crore in the bank account of the mentally and physically challenged girl, the lone survivor in the victim’s family, besides taking care of the girl. 

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Speaking to news reporters in Siddipet on Saturday, the former minister condemned the arrest of BRS leaders P Sabitha Indra Reddy, Satyavathi Rathod, and Padma Devendar Reddy while they were on their way to console the kin of the deceased. 

Rao accused Shabad police of letting the accused, B Raj Kumar, go free in the POCSO case even though he raped the teenage girl on May 16. Alleging political influence, the former minister accused the police of compromising while registering cases under various sections. 

He said the accused was eligible for only seven years of imprisonment because the police had compromised while registering the FIR under stringent sections. Since the Police failed to arrest the accused even nearly two months after the rape, the former minister said the accused obtained anticipatory bail and then killed the rape victim, her mother and grandmother as well as his own wife and two sons. 

Even though the victim’s family approached the police seeking protection from the accused, Rao said that the police failed to save the family. Accusing the police department of losing its way in their functioning under Congress rule, he said that Congress was just trying to use police as a weapon to suppress the opposition and settle land disputes.

Stating that former DGP B Shivadhar Reddy and current DGP CV Anand had left the people confused with their contradictory statements regarding police functioning, Rao asserted that the top police officers had completely failed in containing the rising crime in the State and demanded the immediate arrest of the accused.