Prakasam police made two more arrests on Friday and are actively searching for the main accused, Mannam Ramanjaneyulu, in connection with the incident where a group of nine youths assaulted and urinated upon a tribal youth here last month.
After reviewing the progress of investigation into the case, Home Minister Taneti Vanitha stated to the media that the police acted swiftly after stumbling upon the video of the ‘unfortunate incident’. The incident resulted from disputes between former friends, who had criminal backgrounds, regarding the victim’s involvement with a girl and the division of stolen property.
“We will ensure that the culprits are awarded stringent punishment in court,” she asserted. The State government will provide all support to the family of the victim Mota Naveen, including economic assistance and livelihood support, after counselling. The Home Minister reiterated that the case would be investigated thoroughly to ensure justice for the tribal youth. The Jagan Mohan Reddy government accords top priority to the safety and security of weaker sections of people including women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Ms. Vanitha, who earlier inaugurated a police guesthouse here, said that the YSRCP government had put in place a mechanism for people-friendly policing in the State and to enable people in distress to file a ‘Zero FIR’ at any police station, regardless of whether the offence was committed under the jurisdiction of that particular police station or not.
More than 1.24 crore women had downloaded the Disha App introduced to ensure their safety and security, she said. Although the Disha Bill passed by the State Assembly was yet to become an Act, its provisions were being followed in letter and spirit, she said.
Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police Malika Garg expressed confidence of arresting the main accused soon. “We are close to nabbing Ramanjaneyulu. The arrested individuals, Chapala Prabhu, 20, and Ekambar Narendra, 22, are friends of the main accused. Their arrest will lead to the apprehension of the main accused,” she said.
With these arrests, the police have detained eight people involved in the shameful incident. Three of them, who are minors, were sent to a juvenile home due to their conflict with the law. The section of crime was changed to IPC 307 (attempt to murder) as soon as the video surfaced on July 15, along with the addition of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The Ongole Taluka police had initially registered a case of assault, a day after the incident on June 19. Both Ramanjaneyulu and Naveen were involved in over 60 cases of property offences, the SP said, adding that Ramanjaneyulu had mediated on behalf of Abhilash, a friend of the minor girl, in the presence of the girl’s two brothers leading to a violent clash.
