Telengana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday directed state Police’s Director General Anjani Kumar to withdraw Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 152 persons including former Professors of University of Hyderabad and human rights activists.
Following the Chief Minister’s directions, the DGP asked the Mulugu Superintendent of Police (SP) Gaush Alam to consider withdrawing the FIR registered against Haragopal and others under UAPA.
In 52 pages of FIR copy, the Tadvai police named 152 persons including Prof Haragopal registered cases under several sections including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
In the FIR copy, the Tadvai police said that on August 19, 2022, the complainant V. Shankar was performing his duties at Pasra Circle, he received information, as per higher official orders, about an illegal assembly of CPI Maoist party members of Telangana State, Bade Chokka Rao, Kankanala Raji Reddy, Koyada Sambaiah, Kursam Maggu, Madakam Sannal, and other Dala members, Militias at Asannaguda, Ellapur, SS Tadvai, of Beerella forest area. Attacks on government officials, destruction of government property, recruitment of innocent tribal youth in remote areas into the banned CPI-Maoist party, terrorising innocent people, and funding the party.
The CPI party National Secretary Narayana welcomed the Chief Minister’s decision in withdrawing the UAPA case against Haragopal and others.
Earlier, All India Students’ Association (AISA) India had issued a statement calling for the release of Professor Haragopal, Prof Padmaja Shaw of Osmania University (OU), Telangana Civil Liberties Committee President Prof Gaddam Laxman, Justice (Retd) H Suresh from Indian Association of People’s Lawyers’, activist Sudha Bhardwaj, human rights lawyer Surendra Gadling, and activist Arun Ferreira along others.
“In a yet another bid to suppress dissent behind the veil of state security the Telangana Police has booked 152 persons under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Acts. The prominent persons booked under the Act are retired University of Hyderabad professor Haragopal, Prof Padmaja Shaw of Osmania University (OU), Telangana Civil Liberties Committee President Prof Gaddam Laxman, Justice (Retd) H Suresh from Indian Association of People’s Lawyers’, activist Sudha Bhardwaj, human rights lawyer Surendra Gadling, and activist Arun Ferreira,” AISA said in its statement.
The FIR against all 152 persons was filed by the Tadavi police in Mulugu district of Telangana almost a year ago. What makes the situation even more abysmal that the persons booked under UAPA were not even aware of the case filed against them.
“The false charges are being supported by flimsy evidence that literature seized during a raid on a Maoist meeting at Asannagudem Ellapur forest area on August 19, 2022 had ties to Prof Haragopal and Prof. Padmja,” read the press statement.
We vehemently condemn the slapping of false charges under UAPA against all 152 persons. We appeal the campus community to stand with these activists against the stifling of critical thinking and dissent. We demand immediate quashing of the FIR against all, AISA said in its statement.