Dalit man, youth tortured on suspicion of stealing goat in Mandamarri; perpetrators arrested
In a most inhuman incident, one Dalit and another person were tied upside down, smoked, like animals and were beaten in Mandamarri on suspicion that they stole one goat from a herd in the town
MANCHERIAL: In a most inhuman incident, one Dalit and another person were tied upside down, smoked, like animals and were beaten in Mandamarri on suspicion that they stole one goat from a herd in the town.
According to Bellampalli police, Komurajula Ramulu, his wife Swarupa and their son Srinivas of Angadi bazar in Mandamarri were rearing a herd of sheep at Ganganeellapampula on the outskirts of the town. They found that one of the goats went missing twenty days ago. They suspected the hand of shepherd boy Teja (19) and his friend Chilumula Kiran (30) a Dalit and a native of Godavarikhani.
On Friday, the family that owned the herd called Teja and Kiran to the shed tied them, and hung them upside down. They gathered some twigs and set them on fire underneath the heads of the hapless victims. They shot the whole sordid saga on a mobile phone, which went viral.
The perpetrator thought the victims would accept their crime and return the sheep. After torturing them for hours, the family released them after giving them a warning. Meanwhile, Kiran’s aunt, Nitturi Sarita reached the police and made a complaint about the missing person.
However, the incident saw light on Saturday after a badly bruised Teja and Kiran returned to their homes and narrated the story. Immediately, Bellampalli ACP B Sadaiah and SI Chandrakumar rushed to Mandamarri and inquired about the incident.
A case under the SC, ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act was booked against the three members of the family and their helper, Naresh, for allegedly perpetrating the crime.