Telangana High Court directs cops to grant permission for BRS protest in Mahabubabad

The High Court on Thursday directed the Sub Divisional Police Officer of Mahabubabad to grant permission for the BRS party to hold a peaceful protest in the town. The protest, initially scheduled for November 21, was rescheduled to November 25 upon the court's order.

By Legal Correspondent

Hyderabad: Justice B. Vijay Sen Reddy of the Telangana High Court on Thursday directed the Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Mahabubabad to grant permission for the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) party to hold a peaceful protest in the town. The protest, initially scheduled for November 21, was rescheduled to November 25 upon the court’s order.

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The protest was planned to address allegations of police brutality against the residents of Lagacherla village in Kodangal. Yella Muralidhar Reddy, the youth president of the BRS in Mahabubabad, had moved the court by way of lunch motion stating urgency, as the party’s initial request for permission to hold the protest on November 21 was denied by the police. In the petition, he argued that the Vikarabad police had brutally attacked the villagers of Lagacherla, including women, children, and members of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes during the wee hours of the night.

According to the petition, the police allegedly manhandled and beat the men of the village before remanding them to judicial custody. The petitioners contended that right to protest was a fundamental constitutional right and that the police could not arbitrarily restrict this right without justifiable grounds. The government pleader representing the police department expressed concerns about potential law and order issues arising from the protest.

However, acknowledging the petitioners’ rights, the judge granted conditional permission for the demonstration. The court set several conditions for the protest, including a limit on the number of participants to no more than 1,000, all of whom must be free from any criminal antecedents. Additionally, the protest was allowed to take place from 11 am to 2 pm at the Dharna Chowk in Mahabubabad. Organizers were instructed to ensure that the protest remains peaceful and does not disturb public order. Accordingly the case was disposed.