By Our Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM, JUNE 3. High-handedness of police in dealing with illiterate tribals in the agency areas has come to fore once again with the Munchingput police beating up three women and booking cases against 14 persons from Kommarputtu village in the Darrel Panchayat in G. Madugula mandal. Ironically, while one is a fictitious name among the accused, as no man by that name ever existed in the village, a second one named had died five years ago.

The worst came on Saturday afternoon, when the policemen beat up women in front of a large gathering of villagers in daylight on the road and inside the police station injuring three of them - Pampa Pormila, Korra Turramma and Killo Amballi (widow of the dead man named in the case). The villagers said one person, Kartulla Ganapathi, has been sent to the Central Jail here and bail for him was being sought.

It all started in Kommarputtu village when Debdas, a teacher of Girijana Vidya Vikas Kendra and three of his colleagues, went there on Tuesday on two scooters and allegedly misbehaved with two women returning from work late in the evening. The women raised an alarm and the villagers rushed to the spot and nabbed Debdas along with his scooter. The three others, however, managed to escape from the scene on a scooter.

The enraged villagers tied him to a tree and beat him up for his alleged misbehaviour. He was let off on Wednesday morning with a warning. Debdas went to the police station at Munchingput and lodged a complaint against some villagers alleging that they had robbed him of his gold chain and cash. Cases were booked against 14 villagers and a police team with Mr. Meesala Naidu, head constable leading them, arrived in the village on Thursday.

The villagers said the policemen beat up men and women named in the case, Anta Poorva, Killo Pitambar, Pampa Guru, Pampa Pushpa, Killo Bondu, Vantala Mohan, Pampa Hari, Kartulla Ganapathi, Tangula Manikyam, T. Jagat Rao and Bonda Gussanna and dragged them all the way to the police station at Munchingput that night. Killo Podulum is allegedly a fictitious name and Killo Duma named as one of the accused had died five years ago.

Three local student union leaders met the Sub-Inspector, Mr. A. Babu Rao, and the head constable and pleaded for release of the people from the village. One student leader, Mr. Narsing Padal, was allegedly detained in the police station, beaten up and not given even water to drink. He was released only on Friday.

Those accused in the case were called to the police station on Saturday to settle the matter amicably when the Circle Inspector, Mr. Prem Babu, the Sub-Inspector and constables were present. The villagers alleged that Debdas, the teacher, was merrily sitting in the police station, and the women were asked to apologise for the whole incident. On refusing to apologise for no mistake of theirs, they were beaten up inside the police station and when they ran out, they were lathicharged on the road in front of a gathering of about 80 villagers from Kummarputtu, Dimguda and Talimba.

When the villagers approached the Circle Inspector, he assured them of action against erring cops. The Mandal Revenue Officer, Mr. K. Rama Rao, also said he would look into the incident and get bail for the women. It is learnt that the Sub-Collector, Mr. Mukesh Kumar Bina, had called a meeting at Paderu of all the parties on Sunday to sort out the issue.