TDP president and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday urged the DGP of AP to take action against the police for their ‘excesses’ against Chittoor former mayor Katari Hemalatha.
In a letter to the DGP here, Naidu said that the Chittoor police were intimidating witnesses and filing false cases in order to cover up the murder of Katari Mohan and Katari Anuradha, former mayor of Chittoor. Appallingly, a section of police was blatantly siding with the ruling YSRCP goons and they were harassing key witnesses in various cases.
The TDP chief condemned the police jeep running over the legs of Katari Hemalatha, who was injured. Lavanya, sister-in-law of Hemalatha, complained to additional SP P Jagadeesh and also to Chittoor DSP on 22nd June 2022 about extending protection to witnesses in the gruesome murder of Katari Anuradha and Mohan, who are parents-in-law of Hemalatha.
Chandrababu Naidu said that on June 23, 2022, it was learnt that Chittoor II Town Police were inquiring about the whereabouts of Satish Naidu, key witness in the murder case of Katari Mohan and his wife Katari Anuradha. The police threatened Prasanna, an aide of Hemalatha, to reveal the whereabouts of Satish Naidu.
Naidu said at around 9 PM on 23rd June 2022, the police raided the house of Purna, brother of Prasanna, in order to threaten Prasanna to tell the whereabouts of Satish. As part of this, the police have foisted a false case of marijuana against Purna and planned to arrest him in order to threaten Prasanna.
Naidu said Hemalatha rushed to the place of incident along with her supporters to rescue Purna. However, the police forcibly pushed Purna into the jeep and manhandled Hemalatha. Circle Inspector Yatindra pushed away Hemalatha and she fell down, sustaining grievous injuries. Further, the police, while reversing, ran their jeep over her, causing fracture in her legs. Hemalatha is admitted to hospital and is currently under treatment.
The TDP chief objected to the police foisting a false case related to marijuana against Purna by showing a pack of green grass in the police jeep. CI Yatindra falsely admitted the jeep driver in the hospital to claim that Hemalatha and her group had attacked the driver.
Naidu urged the DGP to inquire and take stringent action against the erring police officials in foisting false cases against Purna and for manhandling Hemalatha. If this trend of targeting and harassing of key witnesses continues, the police in Andhra Pradesh will be mocked and will be seen with contempt. Any official wontedly deviating from their duties should be dealt with stringently. Only a quick action might help in restoring public faith in police.
