People hail Telangana Police, shower praise

Right from the victim’s parents and her neighbours in Shamshabad to politicians and members of various organisations, people hailed the police’s action.Hyderabad: It’s raining praises for the Telangana Police after the Shadnagar ‘encounter’. While ‘Jai ho, Jai ho’ chants rent the air along with bursting of firecrackers at the encounter spot, there was distribution of sweets at several other places.

Right from the victim’s parents and her neighbours in Shamshabad to politicians and members of various organisations, people hailed the police’s action. “Encounter specialist VC Sajjanar. In past, Warangal acid attack and now in Disha’s case. Salute to you sir for handling the case and serving justice,” read a message that was widely circulated on WhatsApp groups from Friday morning. Photos of Sajjanar holding a weapon with the caption, ‘Instant Punishment Sajjanar’, and others calling him and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao ‘silent lions’ were also circulated.A few days ago, an irate crowd gathered in front of the Shadnagar police station, where the four accused were lodged, calling for capital punishment and even an ‘encounter’. Such was the anger that people hurled ‘chappals’ and water bottles on the police vehicle which was taking the culprits to Cherlapally prison after being remanded in judicial custody.

However, minutes after the news of the encounter broke out on TV, the mood changed to one of jubilation. People thronged the encounter spot, and showered flowers on the police personnel. Villagers hoisted a police official and a constable at the culvert on their shoulders while a ‘palabhishekam’ (milk bath) was performed on a portrait of Sajjanar at Punjagutta and other places.

Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Delhi, took to Twitter to congratulate the police in Telangana over the early morning development. “Congratulations to Hyderabad police,” he wrote. CPI national secretary P Narayana backed the police action saying the encounter would send a strong message. Chilkur temple head priest CS Rangarajan, while appreciating the Telangana Police, took strong exception to a few advocates in Delhi for finding fault with the way the suspects were killed.Episode kept under wraps
Hyderabad: The entire episode that ended in the death of four suspects was shrouded in secrecy, till locals spotted police personnel and the bodies in the agricultural field near the culvert at Chatanpally.

The interrogation and the scene reconstruction were already closely guarded secrets, with the police taking extra effort fearing that the suspects might face the wrath of the public if they were brought out in broad daylight. That is why they were taken to the spot at 4.30 am, officials said.
Even after the incident, the police did not allow anyone to the encounter spot where an inquest was done. It was only after the bodies were shifted and the police left the spot that people were allowed to move near the culvert.

2 cops injured, stable
Hyderabad: Two officers, Venkateshwarlu, a Sub-inspector; and Aravindh Goud, a constable; who were injured in the exchange of fire with the suspects on Friday morning were admitted to Care Hospitals, Gachibowli. Their condition is said to be stable.

The personnel were shifted to the hospital around 8 am. Both were “brought with a history of alleged assault by undertrial prisoners. During admission, both the policemen were conscious and coherent”, a medical bulletin said.

The doctors said Venkateswaralu had a head injury, while Goud suffered a blunt wound on the left hand and shoulder. Both were admitted to the ICU and a team of doctors took up emergency medical services. According to the doctors, both were “neurologically and hemodynamically stable”.

Encounter not a good idea, say speakers at panel discussion
Hyderabad: The encounter in the Disha case was not a good idea and any steps towards providing a sense of justice should be taken as per the Court directions, Kingshuk Nag, an author and journalist said.

Speaking at a panel on ‘Making our Cities Safe for Women – What’s going Wrong?’ here on Friday, Nag said women who travel alone were not safe at all and the kind of events taking place these days would only raise concerns on women safety.

Ratna Reddy, lawyer at the High Court said, “We as women are always vulnerable and are not equipped to deal with danger. There is a need to create a curriculum on how to protect ourselves and every school should teach about safety of girls.”

Seeta Murthy, Director at Silver Oak Schools, said children in schools should be aware of what was happening in society. “We can’t blame all men for the present situation. In fact, there is a definite need to encourage informed men to spread awareness on the importance of women safety among their peers,” she said.

Ishaani Sharma, entrepreneur and Founder at Grarri, suggested schools and society to teach children about good touch and bad touch, which would go a long way in reducing such incidents.