GHHF Is Andhra Morphing into a Lawlessness State? Tried to withdraw FIRS against Muslim Youth; High Court Intervened.
Andhra Pradesh appears to be heading toward lawlessness. State government and Police department are eroding the trust of the people due to their slanted treatment toward minorities and hatred toward majority Hindus. As we are aware that the safety and security of the People and property rests in the hands of the government, particularly in the hands of the Director of General Police (DGP).
If the Police has become co-conspirator to the criminal elements, tacitly encouraging the criminal elements to commit more crimes, and implicitly instigating the criminals to rampage the communities, who is going to protect the citizens of the state. Who is going to enforce law and order? Who is going to maintain peace and tranquility? Who is going to prevent the criminal elements who are committed to work against democracy? People go to the Police for any complaints they may have expecting justice. Who will protect and provide safety to the people if their safety is at stake or if their lives are in danger? DGP is in charge of the overall functioning of the state and solving even a slightest malpractice or malfunction. The Police Department must discharge its duties and responsibilities as per the Constitutions. They should enforce the law with no bias or prejudice toward any religion or party affiliation. Make sure people are safe. Detect and prevent crimes. If the Police become part of the problem – that is part of the criminal behavior – and encourage the criminal elements to terrorize and destroy the police station, who is going to protect the average citizen. The current DGP and the State government appear to favor Muslims and Christians endowing them with so many privileges that are denied to Hindus. The Police Department has become subservient to the wishes of the corrupt State Government by relinquishing the integrity, impartiality, honesty, justice, and rule of law.
The case in point happened on May 16, 2018 where about 2000 Muslims had attacked the Old Guntur Police station while protesting against a man whom they alleged molestation against a 10-year-old girl. The Muslim mob wanted to take away the suspected youth who is in the custody of the Police. Since they did not succeed, the mob became violent and started pelting stones on the police station, destroying several properties, and injuring several police personnel on duty. One police officer sustained injury over his right knee, another lost his teeth and got injury over the left knee, another got bleeding injury over his head, another got injury to his right hand fingers, and others sustained bleeding injuries.
The aggrieved Police themselves registered six FIRs against six youth in the said Police Station under various sections of the IPC like 307 (attempt to murder), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous weapons), 341 (wrongful restraint), 353 (assault or criminal force deterring a public servant from discharging duties), damaging the property etc.
On August 1, 2020, the Director General of Police recommended to the AP State Government for the withdrawal prosecution to all the cases against Muslim Youth in connection with the tried ingress into the police station. The DGP did not give any reason or rationale to withdraw the cases. The Muslim youth attacked the police personnel who experienced the injuries themselves. How could DGP withdraw the case knowing all the circumstances. Was he forced to withdraw the cases? Does he know his responsibilities of being a DGP? Was he interested in protecting his job at the expense of creating lawlessness or did he sell out to the government to put the state in jeopardy? Based on his senseless and shameless recommendation, the State government issued G. O. 776 to withdraw the six cases. It only shows that the Government is interested in protecting the criminals for vote bank politics. In order to appease the Muslims, the government has justified their crimes against the Police, excused their atrocities, absolved their crimes against the government property thereby encouraging them to engage in similar crimes, atrocities, brutality, and disturb the harmony in the state. The government’s message is that it will drop the criminal cases against Muslims and Christians even if they rampage the community and engage in criminal activities. This G. O. appeared to have been issued to embolden the Muslims and instigate them to create more disturbances to the peace and tranquility because the Muslims know that the State protects them and excuse any and all crimes.
Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF) challenged the GO 776 and filed a PIL in the High Court requesting it to declare the State government withdrawal of the cases and failure to investigate and file Charge Sheet against the accused even after 2years and three months by the Superintendent of Police (SP) and the Station House Officer (SHO) are illegal, arbitrary, violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. LRPF even requested the court to direct CBI to investigate rather than keep it in the hands of the State.
On September 24, 2020, the High Court declared that the actions of State Government, DGP, and the blatant dereliction of SP and SHO are illegal, arbitrary, violation of the Constitution of India and the Indian Penal Code. Realizing that the FIRS may not be investigated as per the law, the High Court ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation to investigate and “complete the investigation expeditiously and to file Charge sheet against the Accused persons who attacked the Police Station, caused injuries to the Police Personnel, damaging the police vehicles, damaging the police station property and also damaging the private vehicles.” It said that the “said G.O. shall be directed to remain under suspension.”
If the Police Department engages in corruption practices, acts against the Indian Constitution, acts contrary to the Indian Penal Code, acts hostile to morals and ethics, acts to encourage to disturb the peace and tranquility, acts against Hindus, acts to please the Muslims and Christians, and acts contrary to democratic principles, where do the citizens go to get justice.
In fact, High Court should order DGP, SP and Station House Officer to appear before the court and demand them to explain their dereliction of duties in preparing charge sheet against the Muslim Youth, and take appropriate action against these three police personnel to ensure future authorities will not repeat this kind of corrupt practices so that Andhra Pradesh would not become heaven for lawlessness to appease the minorities. Unless they are made accountable, they will abuse their power to undermine the law and order in the State and create lawlessness and anarchy.
