Tonsure case: Dalit organisations demand justice

Visakhapatnam: Dalit Bodies demanded justice to the tonsure victims which is being denied to them since 20 years. Ramachandrapuram (East Godavari district) Thota Trimurtlu is the main accused in the case.

The organisations staged a dharna at the Collectorate demanding the government speed up the case and render justice to them.

The agitating leaders said it was on December 12, 1994 when the MLA and his followers severely beat up BSP booth agents Challapudi Pattabi Ramayya, Kanikella Ganapathi and Puvvala Venkataramana for preventing rigging of the elections. The following day on December 23, the MLA and his henchmen caught hold of Koti Chinaraju and Daggala Venkataratnam and tonsured their heads in front of their family members. They also shaved their eyebrows as a punishment.

The MLA and his men threatened them and lured them with money to suppress the case. But, due to the State-wide agitations and dharnas, MLA Trimurtulu was arrested and sent to jail. The ruling Telugu Desam government gave him all the comforts and made all efforts to get him released on bail. He was even allowed to convene a meeting with the Ministers in R and B guest house in Rajahmundry.

The case came up for hearing in Rajahmundry special court on May 27, 1997 and the MLA petitioned with the High Court and got the case transferred to Visakhkhapatnam stating that it would create law and order problem in the region.

The case went on slowly and the GO was issued to transfer the public prosecutor. The MLA filed several petitions in the High Court to abstain from the trial and the government went on bailing him out.

The mass organisations demanded immediate appointment of public prosecutor and complete the case at the earliest.