Lagacherla incident: Tribals urge SC/ST panel chief to take action against cops involved in assault

Tribal representatives, accompanied by MLC Satyavathi Rathore and senior BRS leaders, including RS Praveen, met the Commission Chairman in his chamber. They submitted a representation demanding action against the police personnel involved in the recent physical assault during the arrest of tribals in Lagacherla village.

Hyderabad: Family members of tribal farmers against whom cases were filed allegedly for attacking Vikarabad Collector and other officials during a public hearing at Lagacherla village of Vikarabad district along with the affected families, on Saturday met Telangana State Commission for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Chairman Bakki Venkataiah and urged him to take action against police personnel involved in the assault on tribals.

The tribals along with MLC Satyavathi Rathod and BRS senior leaders, including RS Praveen met the Commission Chairman at his chamber and presented a representation urging him to take action against the police personnel involved in the physical assault during the arrest of tribals in Lagacherla village recently.

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The farmers narrated the brutality of the police to the Commission Chairman and urged him to look into the issue. The Chairman, while condemning the attack on officials, assured the farmers that he would soon visit the villages where police excess took place and take action against the guilty officials. “The Commission will stand with the tribal, who are likely to lose lands for the pharma village. Justice will be done to the affected farmers,”he said.

Expressing displeasure over the way lands were being acquired for the pharma village, the Chairman said it was not right to acquire tribal lands forcefully. “Forcefully grabbing tribal lands for pharma villages is not right. What will happen to the tribal families who purely depend on land for livelihood. What will happen to their families?he asked.

Later speaking to the media, Satyawati Rathod demanded the panel Chairman to register cases against the police officials involved in the incident under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. She accused the police of registering false cases against the tribals. The unfortunate incident took place due to the failure of the government and that putting the entire blame on the tribals was not correct, she said.