Hyderabad: Tension mounted near Gandhi Bhavan when police assaulted two journalists who were covering a protest. They held a protest at the office of the police commissioner. Two reporters alleged that they were repeatedly slapped by a cop and that other policemen pushed them several times.
The action was recorded by journos and the video submitted to police commissioner M. Mahender Reddy. The commissioner ordered a probe into the incident and suspended the accused SI. A group of lecturers, who were hired on contract by the government for its junior and degree colleges, were staging a protest against the alleged delay in fulfilling their demands, especially the long pending one for regularisation. Journalists alleged that police started pushing them without provocation and when a journalist challenged them, they started beating him up.
“An enquiry has been ordered into the manhandling of journalists by police while arresting protesters at Gandhi Bhavan. The central zone DCP has been appointed as enquiry officer. He has been asked to submit a report at the earliest. Disciplinary action will be initiated based on the report. Meanwhile, the commissioner said in a release that task force SI Thimmappa has been withdrawn from duties, and has been asked to report at head office.
