Hyderabad, July 01: A day after Nagarkurnool MP Manda Jagannadham slapped a bank manager, criminal cases were booked against him for assaulting and intimidating a public servant and bank employees’ unions are gearing up to launch an agitation.
Manda Jagannadham had slapped Ravinder Reddy, manager of the AP Grameena Vikas Bank, in Uppunuthala for not sanctioning loans to beneficiaries. The incident occurred in front of hundreds of customers and Achampet legislator Ramulu. According to eye-witnesses, Jagannadham pulled the manager from his chair by holding his shirt and slapped him. The MP flew into a rage following complaints from applicants against the bank manager at the mandal parishad meeting. He immediately rang up Ravinder Reddy to find out the reason for not releasing loans. Dissatisfied with his ‘‘casual’’ reply, the MP rushed straight to the bank and thrashed the manager.
Ravinder Reddy lodged a complaint with the Uppunuthala police on Tuesday. ‘‘Cases under Sections 353 (assault on a public servant), 323 (causing hurt) and 504 (intimidation) were registered against the MP and investigation is on,’’ Nagarkurnool Deputy Superintendent of Police Satyanarayana said. In an obvious retaliation, a case under SC/CT Atrocities (Prevention) Act was registered against Ravinder Reddy following a complaint by two ‘‘villagers’’ Vijay and Bakkaiah that the manager had abused them when they went to seek a loan.
AP Regional Rural Banks Empoloyees’ Association said it would take up the issue with the Chief Minister, Prime Minister and Lok Sabha Speaker and seek their intervention.
As a mark of protest, the staff in all the rural bank branches sported black badges and staged demonstrations in front of the district offices. ‘‘We will intesnify our agitation and boycott government schemes,’’ general secretary of the assocaition S Venkateswar Reddy said.
–Agencies–