Handcuffing of farmers: SHRC seeks report from police

Hyderabad: The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) today directed the Khammam police to submit a report over the incident in which ten farmers, accused of vandalism, were brought to a court by police allegedly in handcuffs. Ten chilli farmers, who were arrested for allegedly vandalising the Khammam Agriculture Market Yard office on April 28, were produced in the court in Khammam town near here in handcuffs yesterday.

Advocate T Rajnikanth Reddy today filed a petition in the SHRC, seeking a thorough inquiry into the incident. Based on Reddy's plea, the SHRC here asked the Khammam District Superintendent of Police to submit a report by June 5. In his petition, Reddy said, "Police handcuffing the chilli farmers and producing them before the court violated their fundamental rights." "It is highly shocking that the poor farmers were brought to the court handcuffed. The farmers had brought chilli to Khammam market yard hoping to sell the produce for a better price, however, there was sudden drop in prices," the plea said.

Handcuffing is in violation of the rules and the Supreme Court guidelines, Reddy added. The ten chilli farmers had been arrested for allegedly carrying out violent protests and damaging the Khamman market yard office. As the handcuffing incident sparked an outrage, the police department suspended two Armed Reserve Police sub-inspectors and also ordered an inquiry.

The ten farmers were yesterday granted bail by the court and released. The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee and Telugu Desam Party had blamed the TRS government for the incident. Farmers in Telangana have been demanding better price for chilli as the price has dipped to around Rs 6,000 per quintal this season as against Rs 12,000 per quintal last year.