Hyderabad police unwilling to give their reaction on record about ACP’s actions shunned the situation by simply stating that ‘an inquiry has been ordered into the incident’
HYDERABAD: Metres away from the CM camp office in Begumpet, ACP Venkateshwarlu has been caught harassing a woman reporter, where a protest was underway on Thursday.
About 50 woman contract employees of the health department landed at Pragathi Bhavan and tried to gatecrash into the high-security premises at around 10am. The women were stopped and bundled into a waiting van by men in ‘Khaki’. Only a handful of woman cops were deployed to tackle an all-woman protest. With media personnel covering the protest and beaming images live, ACP, Panjagutta Venkateshwarlu flew off the handle.
Journalist, P Radhika tried to quiz the ACP over the inhuman treatment being meted out to women protestors. But the cop, Venkateshwarlu, allegedly hurled obscenities at Radhika. When other journalists at the spot went to the ACP he went menacingly towards some of them. The ACP’s high-handed behavior did not end here. Reacting to the situation, Radhika again went up to Venkateshwarlu, who was unmindful that she was a woman, and shoved her aside.
The political parties along with journalist unions approached the director-general of police Anurag Sharma and other senior officers demanding action against the ACP. Hyderabad police unwilling to give their reaction on record about ACP’s actions shunned the situation by simply stating that ‘an inquiry has been ordered into the incident’. Based on the report by Deputy Commissioner of police (West Zone) Venkateshwar Rao, action would be taken against the officer.
Venkateshwar Rao assured an impartial inquiry would be done in about a week’s time and the report would be submitted to his senior officers. “I do not agree with the way the woman journalist was treated. Whatever might be the issue, let me go, through facts to know under what circumstances the ACP reacted in this fashion. Based on the findings, a fair report will be given and one need not have doubts,” the DCP told TOI.
No case was registered even as Radhika and others went to Panjagutta police station and met the DCP to lodge a written complaint against the ACP. The DGP assured the representatives of Telangana Union of Working Journalists that an appropriate action would be taken against erring officer.