HC orders police to save footage from KTR staff’s questioning

The petitioner's counsel submitted that the two had been called to the police station for questioning in connection with the ruckus in front of the Assembly on September 7.

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday, September 16, directed Safiabad Police to preserve the closed circuit television (CCTV) camera footage showing the entry and exit of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao’s public relations officer (PRO) and personal assistant (PA) from September 14, when they were called for questioning.

PA Kumbala Mahender Reddy and PRO Mahesh Manikya had approached the court alleging that masked men had tried to attack them with deadly weapons inside the station, during which the police stood by as “mute spectators.”

The petitioner’s counsel submitted that the two had been called to the police station for questioning in connection with the ruckus in front of the Assembly on September 7. He added that they were made to wait till 2 pm and later taken for crime scene reconstruction.

Afterwards, when they were in the interrogation room, a mob barged inside and started hurling abuses at them for allegedly manhandling the police in front of the Assembly.

The police did not accept a complaint regarding the attempted attack, the counsel claimed.

However, the government pleader for Home, Mahesh Raje, contended that the allegations were “blatant lies” and that the alleged attackers had come to seek police permission to use DJ at an event.

He said that a complaint had already been lodged in connection with the movement of unknown persons at the police station.

Hearing the submissions, Justice T Madhavi Devi directed the police to ensure protection for the petitioners when they appear for questioning next.

The Home Secretary, Director General of Police, Hyderabad Police Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner of Police and Assistant Commissioner of Police of Khairatabad have been asked to submit counters by the next hearing in two weeks.