Telangana HC directs police not to arrest petitioners in Dalit insult case

The Telangana High Court directed Markook police not to arrest petitioners in an alleged Dalit insult case without following due procedure. Justice T. Madhavi Devi directed the SHO to issue notices under Section 35(3) BNSS and take action according to law

Hyderabad: Justice T. Madhavi Devi of the Telangana High Court on Monday directed the Station House Officer (SHO), Markook Police Station, Siddipet district, not to arrest the petitioners in connection with an alleged case concerning the insult of the Dalit community in Varadarajupur village of Markook mandal, Siddipet district, and to take further action in accordance with law.

Three separate writ petitions were moved before the court through a lunch motion by the petitioners, who apprehended their arrest and interference with their life and liberty in connection with the criminal case registered at Markook Police Station on September 10, 2026.

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The FIR was registered on a complaint lodged by Srikanth Bollaram, a resident of Varadarajupur village in Markook mandal, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community.

According to the complaint, the complainant came to know on September 7, during the Assembly proceedings, that certain BRS Legislative Council members had allegedly abused the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Gaddam Prasad, in an objectionable and unparliamentary manner. Protesting against the alleged incident, a drum-and-clapping protest programme was organised under the leadership of the Congress party. The complainant stated that, being a Congress party worker, he and others participated in the programme at Varadarajupur village on September 8.

The complaint alleged that at about 1 p.m. on September 8, near Hanuman Temple Road in Varadarajupur village, certain persons sprinkled turmeric water at a place where members of the Dalit community had allegedly walked, purportedly on the belief that the place had become impure by their presence.

The complainant alleged that treating the place as impure and attempting to purify it by sprinkling turmeric water amounted to an insult and humiliation of the Dalit community and hurt their sentiments. He further alleged that the incident created an impression that Dalits were still being treated as untouchables and could potentially lead to disputes, hatred and enmity between different sections of the villagers, affecting peace and public order.

He therefore requested the police to investigate the intention and circumstances behind the incident.

The petitioners contended before the court that the police were attempting to arrest them without following the procedure contemplated under Section 35 of the BNSS and the safeguards laid down by the Supreme Court in Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar.

After hearing the matter, Justice T. Madhavi Devi directed the SHO, Markook, to issue notices to the petitioners under Section 35(3) of the BNSS and take action in accordance with law.

With these directions, the writ petitions were disposed of.