AP Govt to order inquiry into police attack on MLC, others

Hyderabad, Feb 13 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Home Minister K Jana Reddy today said the government would order probe into alleged police attack on an MLC and members of the local bodies, when they tried to enter the office of the West Godavari District Collector at Eluru to submit a memorandum on February 8.

To a question from Opposition TDP MLC Y Babu Rajendraprasad, who led a 300-member delegation of Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) to represent their demands before the Collector, Mr Reddy said a DIG-level police official would investigate into the incident and take action against the guilty, based on the report findings.

''The Collector had allowed only five members to enter the office. But, when all of them tried to do so, the police officials at the Collector's office stopped them,'' he said, adding that the officials claimed of their duty and arrested the MLC and 35 MPTC members.

Alleging that the police officials had treated the representatives ''inhumanly'' and arrested them even after the Collector permitted them to submit the memorandum, the TDP MLC said the removal of 'mangalsutras' of women MPTC members in the jail had hurt their sentiments.

On this issue, the minister said after consulting experts, the government amended the Acts, which permitted the jail authorities to remove the 'mangalsutras' after lodging them in jail.

UNI AP VA SJ GL KN1912