A strong posse of the Chikkadpally police, accompanied by their colleagues in Machareddy of Kamareddy district, on Friday afternoon conducted a search of the office premises of the Arunodaya Cultural Federation in Aravind Nagar near Ashoknagar here and sealed it.
When contacted, Vimalakka, who runs the organisation, said the Kamareddy police told her that she was wanted in connection with an investigation into some cases that had been registered against her two years ago. She said she had participated in a meeting in the erstwhile Nizamabad district to commemorate the death anniversary of Bhagat Singh on March 23 two years ago.
“We were actually getting ready to go and meet Home Minister Naini Narasimha Reddy and seek his assistance in knowing the whereabouts of Bheem Bharat of the Telangana United Front because he had been missing and out of reach since Thursday. The police came in half a dozen vehicles and, brandishing copies of a couple of books, said it amounted to unlawful activity against the State. They then pushed us out of the premises and sealed it,” said Ms. Vimalakka.
“When we asked if they had a search warrant they brushed us aside. The Kamareddy district police said they wanted us in connection with some cases, refusing to elaborate. The police action is clearly undemocratic. The State cannot stifle our voice. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao himself has praised our songs that we sang during the struggle for formation of Telangana state,” she said.
However, the Kamareddy police had a different version. “There are two cases registered against Vimalakka in Machareddy and Devanpally police stations under Kamareddy Rural Circle. Last year, a Jana Shakti activist whom we had arrested gave us information about a few developments that attract provisions of the Arms and Explosives Act. The confession of Bheem Bharat, whom we arrested this morning, actually led us here,” said Superintendent of Police N. Swetha Reddy, speaking to The Hindu .
Earlier in the day, Ms. Vimalakka and a few others submitted a petition at the State Human Rights Commission following which an order was issued to the police asking them to produce Bheem Bharat in court.
