On Friday, aggrieved people who walked into police stations across Telangana to register complaints returned empty handed as the Sub-Inspectors and Inspectors, who handled the work, were in Hyderabad attending a conference convened by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
The absence of Station House Officers, however, did not hinder the routine security tasks of the stations as constables and head constables performed them. They also attended to accident cases and patrolling that’s routinely done.
In Khammam town, a group of residents from Ramanagutta area, went to the Two-Town Police Station in the afternoon to represent their grievance related to a dispute over a piece of land in their locality.
They contended that the land was earmarked for a religious purpose. However, a resident of the same locality approached the police saying that he was the owner of the said land.
All of them left the police station after coming to know that the Circle Inspector was away in Hyderabad in connection with the meeting. The usually busy Khammam urban police station also saw little less activity.
The police stations were manned by junior-level staff for the first time in Warangal. However, the routine functioning was not affected as the tasks were assigned to others.
Except for the issues like filing first information report, all other work was carried out by the officers left at the station.
Inspector of Kazipet, L. Ramesh, said duties were already assigned to head constable and constables. He said the absence was felt mainly in rural police stations. City Police Commissioner G. Sudheer Babu defended the summons to officers to attend the meeting as they would get to know policy matters.
Work was as usual at police stations in Adilabad district on Friday as the department had posted SIs from wings other than law and order in 14 out of the 18 police stations in the district. At four police stations -- Sirikonda, Gadiguda, Bheempur and Bela -- Assistant Sub-Inspectors functioned as in-charge SIs.
At Gudihatnoor police station, ASI S. Ashok had to deal with an accident and there was no other case during the day. “I got the victims of the accident admitted to RIMS Hospital in Adilabad. Now I am on patrolling duty,” Mr. Ashok said.
At the central crime station at Kandi in Medak district, though the premises appeared deserted, the officials responded positively to public.
