TDF seeks release of its fact-finding team

​Hanamkonda: The office bearers of Telangana Democratic Forum (TDF) have demanded unconditional release of its seven-member fact-finding team lodged at a jail at Sukma in Chhattisgarh.

The TDF leaders alleged that the police of Telangana and Chhattisgarh have on December 25, 2016 arrested the fact-finding team going to Chhattisgarh to expose the alleged police atrocities against the tribals in that State.

Fourty two days passed since they were lodged at the jail. The State and Central governments have been putting pressure on the courts not to give bail to the arrested team members, alleged the TDF leaders B Abhinav, Ramesh Chander, Arunank, K Surender, S Bharathi, Jangaon Kumaraswamy and others.

In support of their demand, the TDF has planned to stage a dharna at all the district collectorates in Telangana on February 16. A publicity poster of the protest programme was released in Hanamkonda on Sunday by the Forum leaders.

Speaking to press persons on the occasion, they said Amnesty International and several other human rights organisations across the country have strongly condemned the arrest and lodging of team members in jail.

But Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Home Minister Naini Narsimha Reddy were not responding to the issue, the TDF leaders stated, adding that the onus lies on the TRS government in ensuring the release of the team.

The team members Ch Prabhakar, B Ravindranath, D Prabhakar, R Lakshmaiah, B Durgaprasad, Rajendra Prasad and Nazeer should be released unharmed from the jail, the TDF leaders asserted.

They found fault with the stand of courts which stressed on the need to have prior permission from the police to go on fact-finding mission.

‘Fact-finding is a constitutional right of every citizen and there is no need to get police permission,” the forum leaders noted.