Merchants demand justice as police arrest trader in Chirala

Chirala: Hundreds of merchants from the Mahatma Gandhi Cloth Market gathered in front of the Town I police station in Chirala on Tuesday night demanding justice for them. They demanded the police to release their fellow trader, who was arrested by them on SC ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, immediately and take action on the complainant for making a false allegation.

According to the locals and Town I police, a woman working is the commercial tax office in Chirala is due an amount to a trader in the MGC market, Arvapalli Leelanand. On Tuesday afternoon, the woman complained to the police that Leelanand used abusive language against her and filed a case under the SC ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The police arrested Leelanand immediately and shifted him to the police station. Since then the elders in the merchants negotiated with the police up to evening. They explained the police that the woman wontedly made a false complaint and asked the circle inspector N Nagamalleswara Rao to conduct an inquiry at the shop of the accused.

They asked the inspector to send Leelanand with them to home and show his arrest later if they found he is the culprit. The police denied the demand of the merchants and announced that they have evidence against the arrested man.