Eatala files NHRC complaint, alleges custodial torture of Lagacherla village farmers
Hyderabad: Malkajgiri Member of parliament(MP) Eatala Rajender filed a formal complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) regarding alleged police brutality against villagers in Lagacherla, Vikarabad district, Telangana, following protests over land acquisition for a pharmaceutical company.
The incident, which occurred in Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy's Kodangal constituency, has raised concerns about police conduct and human rights violations. Going further into details, according to the complaint, the conflict began on November 11, 2024, when district officials attempted to conduct a public hearing about establishing a pharma company in the area.
The villagers refused to participate in the hearing. They have been protesting against forced farmland acquisition for eight months. “On the day of the hearing, they didn’t go to the venue. When the officials approached the reluctant farmers, they perhaps may have expressed their anger,” highlighted Eatala Rajender in his complaint copy.
It is pertinent to note that tension prevailed in Lagacherla village, Vikarabad district, on November 11 as furious villagers attacked Vikarabad District Collector Prateek Jain and Kodangal Area Development Authority (KADA) Special Officer Venkat Reddy while protesting against the acquisition of their lands for a proposed 'pharma village. The police have booked the case on the same.
NHRC urged to probe Human Rights violations
Following this, police allegedly conducted a midnight raid on November 11-12, arbitrarily arresting several villagers. Rajender alleged, “Taking umbrage under an unfortunate incident, they have been registering cases indiscriminately. They swooped on the village on the intervening night of 11-12 November and reportedly whisked away many villagers. The villagers reported that the police had abused them physically and verbally and used all sorts of violent methods.”
The complaint details disturbing allegations of physical abuse, verbal harassment, and third-degree methods against the arrested villagers during police custody. Further, the police allegedly warned the arrested farmers that if they spoke about the custodial torture, they would face dire consequences.
On November 18, the S.T. Commission visited Sangareddy jail, where the arrested villagers are held. According to the S.T. Commission, the farmer described how the police tortured them during custody.
The complainant, Eatala Rajender, requests the NHRC’s immediate intervention through a fact-finding mission to investigate alleged human rights violations in Lagacherla village.