25-year-old woman rape-cum-murder case witness receive threats from inspector

Hyderabad: A farmer from Nalgonda who is a key witness in a rape-cum-murder case of a 25-year-old woman at Chandur in 2017, has alleged that he is being threatened by the Chandur station house officer to withdraw his statement.

The farmer, Mr Gajjala Raghava Reddy of Thummalapally in Chandur mandal, approached the State Human Rights Commision with the complaint on Sunday. The Commission admitted his petition and ordered the Nalgonda superintendent of police to submit a report by June 19.

Mr Raghava Reddy in his petition stated when the woman was raped and murdered, he came forward as the witness and gave a statement against the accused. He also helped the victim’s father approach the SHRC in November 2017 and file a petition seeking justice.

Since then, he alleged, Chandur SHO P. Ramesh Kumar and the accused were threatening him with dire consequences. He alleged that the SHO had taken a bribe of Rs 3 lakh from the accused to dilute the case.

After reports of the victim’s family approaching NHRC, the SHO started harassing him, he said. One of the accused, B. Mohan Reddy, lodged a cheating case against Raghava Reddy in connection with a land deal and he was arrested and sent to remand.

The police has not yet filed a chargesheet, he said.

He stated that police personnel were coming to his home at odd hours in his absence and would threaten his wife and kids.