Lagacharla Villagers Lodge Complaint With NHRC On Telangana Police

The residents of Lagacharla village in Vikarabad district, where violent incidents took place during a public hearing for the proposal of setting up pharma companies by acquiring the lands of farmers of the village, lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission in New Delhi over the "anarchy" created by the Telangana police.

The Lagacharla residents called on National Human Rights Commission Chairperson Vijayabharthi Sayani and described the "illegal arrests", "physical attacks" by the police and the "atrocities" committed by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's family members.

BRS MPs K R Suresh Reddy, Vaddi Raju Ravichandra and D Damodar Rao, former minister Satyavathi Rathod, MLA Kova Lakshmi, former MP Maloth Kavitha, former MLAs Ravindra Nayak and Haripriya Nayak, BRS leader Dr R S Praveen Kumar and many other leaders from the Kodangal constituency accompanied the victims.

Speaking on the occasion, BRS MLC Satyavathi Rathod alleged that atrocities were committed against tribals in Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's own Assembly constituency, and that the State government was trying to grab the livelihoods of those who had been living on those lands for many years.

She said that for the last nine months the farmers of Lagacharla had been telling the government that they would not give up their lands to it, but that the government was trying to grab their lands forcibly.

"Some people attacked the district officials in a fit of rage as their lands were taken away. But the police used it as an excuse to commit atrocities against women. Electricity was cut off in the middle of the night, the internet was shut down, and women were tortured and beaten up," Rathod claimed.

She said that illegal cases were filed against 51 farmers, and that the village people were still afraid of what the police would do again.

"Revanth Reddy's brother is threatening to hang the victims," she said.

Rathod said that the President of India was also a tribal, and that she would narrate the incident to her as well if they got an appointment.