Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Spurt in State violence, says Balagopal

By Our Staff Reporter

NALGONDA NOV. 22. The Human Rights Forum (HRF) has demanded an independent inquiry into the alleged encounters that have been taking place in the State since the dissolution of the Assembly by the TDP Government.

"Police killed eight naxalites in four districts after passing the `election resolution' by the Government. We fear there are many more such killings in the guise of encounters,'' said the Forum's state committee member, K.Balagopal.

After visiting Sobhanadripuram village, where two naxals were killed in an alleged encounter on November 18, Mr. Balagopal said here on Saturday that by making naxalism the poll plank, the Government had given a clear signal to the police to indulge in lawlessness.

Mr.Balagopal said the "atrocities'' being committed by the State machinery would be brought to the notice of the human rights organisations in the country. "After the Alipiri blast, the police took 100-150 persons into custody and tortured for information. We ask the organisations to write to the Governor, the Election Commission and others protesting against such tactics,'' he maintained.

Meanwhile, a six-member "fact-finding committee" led by the HRF State convener, S. Jeevan Kumar, and Mr.Balagopal, visited Sobhandripuram on Saturday and conducted an inquiry into the encounter for about three hours. Later, in a press release, it alleged that the encounter was "clearly'' a fake one.

According to the team, the police killed Cheruku Mallesh, who was bedridden due to a severe injury in the leg, in cold blood after torturing him for about two hours. They also killed Linga Swamy, whom they caught when he had gone out to bring medicine for the ailing naxal, they said.

The team said that Mallesh did not posses any weapon at the time of the police attack, hence there was no scope for his resistance.

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