'Non-serious' Cases Withdrawn

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Monday assured the state Assembly that a few cases against the students who were involved in the Telangana agitation would be withdrawn, but law and order and peace in the region would be given priority.

The Chief Minister said that all cases could not be withdrawn completely, but gave an assurance that the government would do it considering the students' future at an appropriate time.

The government was studying the cases against the students, and Kiran Reddy was of the opinion that law and order situation should be maintained effectively.

Earlier, making a statement in the state Assembly, Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy announced that the government had lifted 565 cases against 2436 students who took part in the agitation between December 2009 and December 2010 for and against Telangana state.

The state government had been contemplating and examining the modalities to withdraw the cases, the minister said.

She emphasised the need to ensure that law and order situation was under control in the first place.

Sabitha Reddy said that it was the duty of the government to maintain peace in any event. She appealed to the students not to resort to agitational mode any further, and sought their cooperation for withdrawal of cases.

In view of the representations made for lifting of the cases, the government had decided to segregate the cases against students into 2 categories, she revealed.

The students who were involved in simple cases like violations of prohibitory orders, rasta rokos and attempts to commit suicide among others were listed in the first category. In the second category, students who were involved in serious offences in which public and government properties were destroyed were listed.

Sabitha Reddy said that 1660 cases were registered against 8047 persons who were involved in the agitations.

She revealed that at the police station level, 122 cases against 411 persons were brought to a closure, whereas 383 cases against 2500 persons were pending in courts.

Cases pertaining to rasta roko incidents, violation of prohibitory orders and suicide attempts were withdrawn, the minister said. She added that the cases of torching public and private properties were still under study.

Panchayat Raj Minister K Jana Reddy told the members that the government would lift the cases against the students in a phased manner.

As per the assurance given by the government, a few cases had already been withdrawn, but the government was studying the modalities to withdraw the cases in the remaining cases, he said.

Asking the members to repose confidence in the government, Jana Reddy explained that due thought was being given to the issue, and attempt was being in that direction.

Courtesy: INN