The police have arrested six accused and are searching for three more, including the prime accused, who are absconding.
Some of the accused allegedly beating up Naveen. (left)
Six people were arrested by the police from Ongole in the Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday, 19 July, for allegedly assaulting and urinating on a man belonging to a Scheduled Tribe (ST) in a clash involving his relationship with a minor girl.
The six arrested include three juveniles. The cops are looking for three more accused who are on the run.
The police said that the matter dated back to 19 June, when the 26-year-old victim — identified as Mota Naveen — was thrashed by the girl’s brother Manne Ramanjaneyulu (27) and seven more persons after they came to know about her “relationship”.
The incident came to the fore after a video of the violent incident went viral on social media.
In the video, several men could be seen repeatedly kicking a guy (believed to be Naveen), who was bleeding profusely, until one of them started urinating on him. They continued beating the guy.
According to the cops, Naveen had eloped with the minor girl in the past, after which a case under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act was filed. He was also sent to remand.
Even after walking out of jail, Naveen allegedly continued his “relationship” with the girl.
This triggered Ramanjaneyulu, who — along with his friend Rayapati Abhilash (19) — decided to take revenge on him.
Abhilash had a grudge against Naveen as he also loved the girl, the cops said.
“Because of these factors, the accused wanted to teach Naveen a lesson. Ramanjaneyulu and two more accused (Chapala Prabhu and Ekambaram Narendra alias Tillu) went to Naveen’s house to apparently patch up and start afresh by drinking alcohol. Naveen’s brother Raja (29) was also there,” Prakasam Superintendent of Police (SP) Mallika Garg told South First.
The brothers belong to a tribe called Yerukala, also known as Erukala or Erukula.
She added that all five men, around 9 pm, went to the outskirts of Ongole near the Calvary temple on the Mukthinuthalapadu Main Road.
“There they met up with Abhilash, the girl’s brother and four more of the latter’s friends, who have been named as co-accused in the FIR. All nine men thrashed Naveen and his brother with sticks and stones for pursuing a ‘relationship’ with the girl,” Garg said.
https://twitter.com/ambedkariteIND/status/1681543332260872194
While Raja was able to escape, the accused continued beating Naveen.
Among the accused, seven belong to Kamma, Naidu, Yadava, and Muslim communities, while one comes from the Madiga community (Scheduled Caste).
The police initially registered the FIR under IPC sections on 20 June, a day after the incident, based on Naveen’s brother Raja’s complaint.
“When we first recorded Naveen’s statement in hospital, he did not mention anything regarding urinating,” Garg said.
While the probe was going on, the video of the incident being shared on social media caught the police’s attention.
“It was then that we decided to alter the IPC sections on 15 July and press more serious charges against the accused,” Garg said.
The Ongole Taluk police have registered a case against the nine accused men under IPC Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 324 (beating using weapons), as well as the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Apart from Ramanjaneyulu, Abhilash and the minor girl’s brother, the rest of the accused are Shaik Shadiq Gafoor (23), Appanaboina Jayasankar (21), Chapala Prabhu (20), Ekambaram Narendra alias Tillu, and two juvenile friends of the girl’s brother.
The cops also pointed out that both Naveen and Ramanjaneyulu Naveen had allegedly committed several offences together, and have over 40 criminal cases registered against them.
“They committed robberies and other theft crimes. Naveen was also booked under the POCSO Act. They have been to jail together on several occasions,” the police said.
Ramanjaneyulu, Prabhu, and Tillu are absconding, said the police, adding that special teams had been formed to nab them.
May 05, 2024
May 05, 2024
May 05, 2024
May 05, 2024
May 05, 2024
May 04, 2024
