Andhra Pradesh minister offers Rs 1 lakh to Dalit youth

VISAKHAPATNAM: A day after the arrest of seven persons in connection with the incident where a 20-year-old Dalit youth, P Srikanth, was tonsured at Sujatha Nagar in the city, Dalit leaders and activists staged a protest demanding the arrest of P Nutan Naidu, in whose house the alleged atrocity took place.
“We appeal to police to nab Naidu to deter such incidents in the future,” said Surla Venkata Ramana, convener of Dalitha Vimukthi organisation.He demanded the police to investigate the role of Naidu in the incident.
Meanwhile, state tourism minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao and Pendurthi MLA Adeep Raj on Sunday visited Srikanth’s residence at Pendurthi and consoled him and his family. The minister and MLA gave Rs 50,000 and announced Rs 1 lakh aid and employment through outsourcing to help Srikanth.
VS Krishna, coordination committee member of Human Rights Forum, AP and Telangana, called for punishment to perpetrators. He pointed to the tardy progress in such cases and recalled past instances when justice was delayed.
On December 29, 1996, Dadala Venkataratnam and Koti Chinnaraju of Venkatayapalem in Ramchandrapuram in East Godavari, were tonsured in the presence of TDP MLA Thota Trimurthulu.
A case was registered and hearing began in 2017 at the SC, ST Special Court in Visakhapatnam but the trial is not yet complete.
On July 19, Indugamilli Varaparasad of Vedulapalli village in Sitanagaram mandal of East Godavari was beaten and tonsured by a sub-inspector. On July 21, Yericharla Kiran Kumar, a Dalit youth, died, allegedly because of police beatings in Chirala of Prakasam district.