Date:20/09/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/09/20/stories/2004092005410400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Killings prompt a shuffle in police ranks

By Our Staff Reporter

ANANTAPUR, SEPT. 19. The political and factional violence in the district has started taking its toll on the police officers. While the DSP of Anantapur sub-division was shifted on Friday, the Government decided to transfer the Superintendent of Police, Anil Kumar, on Saturday.

New SP

R.S. Praveen Kumar, a 1994 batch IPS officer, has been posted as the new SP. He was the SP in Karimnagar.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had been gunning for the suspension of Anantapur DSP, B. Balanarasimha Reddy, alleging that the killers of at least five TDP leaders in the sub-division had the blessings of Mr. Reddy.

Paritala's allegation

More recently, Mr. Ravindra alleged that a conspiracy was being hatched to blast the houses of TDP leaders including his, his relatives' and followers' in Anantapur with the `active cooperation' of the DSP. The DSP, on his part, had written to the Chief Minister a few days earlier that there was a threat to his life from Mr. Ravindra.

The Opposition party has started pressing for the transfer of the SP and DIG after the murder of Kanaganapalli MPP, B. Prabhakar. Of the 19 political and factional murders that had taken place after Congress Government assumed charge this year, 15 victims belonged to the TDP and four to the Congress, they claim. But, police records put the tally at 13 and 4, respectively.

Naidu's protest

The killings had spurred widespread protests by the TDP. The TDP president and former Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, staged a dharna in front of the SP's residence here on August 18 after the murder of TDP councillor, Pavurala Krishna and his brother, alleging the DSP's hand.

The TDP has also been accusing the police of "bias" in providing personal security officers (PSOs or gunmen) to the TDP leaders. Twenty-eight politicians - allegedly most of them from the TDP - were deprived of gunmen's services after the elections, citing various reasons, they said.

As the head of the district police since April 14 last year Mr. Anil Kumar has earned a name for his `polite policing.' His efforts to take the police closer to the people by conducting blood donation camps, health camps, distribution of rice and other commodities and notebooks to children in naxal-infested and faction-ridden areas had endeared him to the people. However, a sudden spurt in the factional killings in the last three to four months had made the people wary of the police.