Date:02/05/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/05/02/stories/2004050202750400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Congress, Left parties put police on notice

By Our Staff Reporter

ANANTAPUR, MAY 1. The investigation into the attack on a Congress polling agent and an attempt to murder him allegedly by Telugu Desam Party leaders in the Penukonda constituency on April 26 is moving at a snail's pace.

Except procuring some material evidence on the attack from the site and questioning of the gunmen on duty to the TDP leader, Paritala Ravindra, and others on April 26, the police investigation has failed to make any headway so far. Questions like whether there was any firing or not, if it was there from whose weapon the bullet came out, who handled the weapon among others remain unanswered so far.

Questions like what the gunmen provided by the Police Department were doing when the attack was taking place and whether shadow parties of the police were following the TDP leader or not also have no instant answers from police officers concerned.

Sources in the TDP asserted that there was no firing on S. Gangadhar but he was kicked repeatedly and his limbs were smashed with stones.

The police are tight-lipped on the all-important medical report, which can shed light on whether the injuries were the result of bullets fired from a weapon or just the ones created with stone hits, as being claimed by the TDP sources.

The Congress and Left parties have served an ultimatum on the district police that they will take up an agitation if Mr. Ravindra is not arrested in a couple of days.

The rights panels have also criticised the police attitude and demanded handing over of the case to the CB-CID for a fair investigation.