Inspector General of Police, Guntur Range, P.V. Sunil Kumar, on Saturday issued orders suspending Station House Officer of Pattabhipuram Durga Prasad after the latter was found guilty of abusing power in a civil dispute.
The IG also passed strictures on Deputy Superintendent of Police, West Division, Ch. Venkateswara Rao, and issued a memo to the then Superintendent of Police, Guntur Urban, Ake Ravikrishna.
Mr. Durga Prasad was indicted following an inquiry by Senior Superintendent of Police, Guntur Urban, B.V. Ramana Kumar, and Additional SP Gopinath Jetty conducted on the orders of Additional DG, Law & Order, V.S.K. Kaumudi.
The dispute relates to possession of 1,800 square yards of land in Shyamala Nagar. Two persons — Nallapati Soujanya Kumar and Kodali Lalitha Kumari — had a dispute over the property. It was then in the possession of Mr. Soujanya Kumar.
Ms. Lalitha approached the SHO with a complaint on January 26 claiming that she owned the property and that Mr. Soujanya Kumar had trespassed into it.
On investigation, it was found that the issue was being heard in court and since the police could not interfere in a civil dispute, the case was closed.
Later, Ms. Lalitha Kumari, along with her accomplices, forcefully entered the compound and began dismantling the sheds belonging to Mr. Kumar. The latter complained to the police, but they turned the other way as the trespassers went about dismantling the structures.
In April this year, the Civil Court gave judgment in favour of Mr. Kumar and gave an injunction order.
Mr. Kumar approached the Additional DG (Law & Order) seeking action against the SHO. On the orders of the DG, an inquiry was held, which nailed the SHO.
This is the first major disciplinary action against a senior police officer in Guntur Urban Police limits.
