Telangana Congress knocks NHRC's door over alleged police brutality against Dalits

The Congress party's Telangana unit on Tuesday knocked the door of the National Human Right Commission, in Delhi over alleged atrocities committed against Dalit and backward classes by the Telangana police officials in Rajanna Sircilla district of the state.

Newly-appointed Congress state incharge RC Khuntia, along with former Rajya Sabha MP V Hanmanth Rao, current Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhury and others made a representation to the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission on a July 4 incident from Narella of the Rajanna Sircilla district in which eight villagers were detained by the police.

"The chairman has responded very favourably and agreed to send a team from National Human Rights Commission to visit Nerella and enquire into the matter and do justice," Congress spokesperson Sravan Dasoju told India Today.

On the night of July 4, Rajanna Sircilla district police detained eight people who participated in a violent protest of July 2. The protest was over the



deaths of four villagers, who were crushed to death by speeding lorries allegedly carrying illegal sand.

The villagers - mostly Dalit and from backward classes - set ablaze one lorry involved in the death of a villager on July 2.

Opposition parties of Telangana alleged that police not only booked false cases against the protesting villagers but also arrested eight people and brutally tortured them.

Earlier, the president of Telangana Congress Uttam Kumar Reddy had written a letter to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, demanding the suspension of Vishwajit, the SP of the district and 18 other police officials involved in the alleged torture.

The Congress also held a massive rally protesting against the alleged police brutally on July 31 where former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar demanded a probe into the incident through a sitting judge of high Court.

Interestingly, the district is represented by K T Ramarao, the chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.