Hyderabad: Telangana high court on Thursday directed the state govt to file a status report within two weeks regarding the progress in the case it registered against police officers accused of torturing Dalit and BC youth from Nerella village in Sircilla district in July 2017.
A bench, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J Sreenivas Rao, was hearing two PILs filed by Gaddam Laxman and retired high court judge Justice B Chandra Kumar. The petitioners sought action against the officers involved and sought 10 lakh compensation for each of the eight victims, who allegedly endured severe injuries at the hands of cops in Sircilla police station.
During the proceedings, the bench raised several critical questions about the status of the probe, including whether an FIR had been registered and whether a chargesheet had been filed.
The assistant govt pleader was unable to answer these questions and instead sought additional time to file an affidavit from the advocate general.
Growing impatient with the delay, the bench directed additional advocate general Imran Khan to clarify the state govt’s position. Khan informed the court that the PIL filed by Laxman had only sought the registration of an FIR against the accused officers, which had already been done. He requested the case to be closed on that basis.
The bench, however, sought to know the status of the investigation. Khan promised to gather the necessary information and update the court on the progress. The case was adjourned to Jan 20.
During the hearing, petitioner’s counsel D Suresh Kumar filed an application to implead the victims in the PIL, asserting that victims should be given the opportunity to testify about torture they allegedly endured. He added that the PIL petitioners might not be aware of all the details. The bench suggested that the victims file a separate writ petition instead of joining present PILs.
The counsel for the PIL petitioner in 2017 argued that hundreds of lorries and trippers used to carry sand from Sircilla district through Cheerlavancha and Kodurupaka areas. There were as many as 42 accidents in the area and people were getting restless and were in a mood to revolt against the sand mafia’s activities.
It was at that time during the night of July 4, 2017, a sand lorry hit Erukula Bhumayya of Nerella who died on the spot. This incident sparked a furore and the enraged youth of the area burnt several sand lorries.
The police booked 13 youth from Nerella, Jillella and Ramachandrapuram areas, allegedly subjected them to torture and then hurriedly sent them to jail. The high court, at that time, wondered how jail authorities allowed such severely injured victims as remand prisoners and sought explanation from the prison authorities.
