Kodad CI accused of manhandling man during protest over pan shop demolition

A police officer in Kodad, Suryapet district, has been accused of manhandling a man protesting the demolition of his sister’s pan shop. The incident has triggered criticism and allegations of discrimination and political targeting, with a video circulating on social media.

Suryapet: The alleged highhanded behaviour of Kodad town police against a pan shop owner and her brother at Yadavnagar on Friday drew strong criticism from various sections. Kanakamma has been running a pan shop at Yadavnagar in Kodad for the past 30 years. There are nearly 200 other roadside shops in the area. However, municipal officials demolished her shop while leaving the others untouched, according to local residents.

Protesting the demolition, Kanakamma and her brother Upendra squatted on the road and sought an explanation from the municipal officials. Police personnel rushed to the spot and tried to clear them from the road. As Upendra objected to what he described as discriminatory action, Kodad CI Shiva Shankar allegedly grabbed him by the neck and pushed him to the ground. A video of the incident, which is circulating on social media, shows the police officer pushing away family members, including women, who tried to intervene before dragging Upendra towards a police van.

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Upendra was subsequently bundled into the vehicle and taken to the police station. Objecting to the police action, the women sat in front of the police van in protest. The incident has also triggered allegations of political targeting. According to reports, Upendra, who contested the recent municipal elections as a BRS councillor candidate, had shared a social media post criticising local Congress leaders.
Following a complaint over the post, he was reportedly picked up from Hyderabad on Thursday and released late in the night. The following day, his sister Kanakamma’s shop was demolished by municipal officials, further fuelling allegations that the action was politically motivated. The allegations have drawn criticism from different sections, with several people questioning the conduct of the police officer.

The controversy comes days after Mahabubabad CI Raghupathi was suspended for allegedly grabbing polytechnic students by their necks during a protest, raising fresh questions over the conduct of police personnel while dealing with protesters and political opponents.