Cops canning three men in public view sparks political storm in Andhra

Hyderabad: A video showing police personnel publicly caning three young men in Tenali, Guntur district, has ignited a fierce political controversy in Andhra Pradesh. The incident, which occurred on April 25-26 but came to light only after the video went viral on social media, has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders and triggered a heated debate.

The three men Chebrolu John Victor ,25, Shaik Babulal 21, and Doma Rakesh 25 were allegedly assaulted by uniformed police officers near Lingaraju Centre.

The video shows the accused being forced to sit on the ground while policemen repeatedly beat their feet with lathis in full public view.

Police claimed the trio were associates of a rowdy-sheeter who had attacked a police constable last month. However, opposition YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy visited the victims' families on Tuesday, condemning what he termed "police highhandedness" and alleging that rowdy sheets were opened against them only after the brutality incident came to light.

Jagan launched a scathing attack on the ruling TDP-led coalition government, claiming law and order had collapsed in the state. Speaking after consoling the victims' families, he questioned the police's right to "sit in judgment" and brutally beat youth from Dalit and minority communities without due process.

The former Chief Minister accused police of being used as "collection agents" for TDP leaders, facilitating kickbacks from liquor, sand, and mining operations. He also alleged systematic harassment of YSRCP leaders through false cases.

Ruling party's counter attack

The TDP strongly rebutted Jagan's allegations, with Minister Dola Sri Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy condemning YSRCP's "support for lawlessness." He accused Jagan of backing individuals accused of violence under the influence of ganja and expressed unwavering support for police officers.

TDP MLA Nakka Anandbabu launched a fierce counter-attack, reminding Jagan of alleged police brutalities during his tenure, including the deaths of Dr Sudhakar and Kiran. He questioned Jagan's moral authority, citing incidents where Dalit individuals were allegedly tortured in police stations during YSRCP rule.

"Going to meet ganja smugglers and rowdy-sheeters is utterly disgraceful," Anandbabu said, accusing Jagan of staging diversionary tactics while facing scrutiny in the liquor scam.

“We never said the police have the authority to beat people. Yet in Chirala, a man named Kiran was beaten to death just for not wearing a mask. Dr. Sudhakar was labeled mentally unstable and killed in broad daylight simply because he asked for masks.

These atrocities happened during your regime. In Gurajala, a young man named Dommothoti Vikram, who was working in Hyderabad, was summoned and handed over to rivals, who then murdered him. In those days, the police brutally beat and harassed Deputy Speaker RRR in Arikella. At that time, he was a Member of Parliament. He was not a rowdy-sheeter or ganja peddler like the ones you mention, such as John Victor or Rakesh. He was then an MP, and now he's an MLA and the Deputy Speaker. Varaprasad, a man who questioned YSRCP leaders about illegal sand mining, was forcibly tonsured and humiliated inside a police station. Even though the President's Office got involved in the matter, you didn’t respond or take any action” said Anandbabu.

Meanwhile Dalit and people's organizations held a road blockade protesting Jagan's visit. The victims were produced in court and remanded to judicial custody following their arrest on Sunday.