Guntur SI misbehaves with a woman at a lodge, gets suspended

Guntur: The police department suspended SI Ramanjaneyulu for allegedly misbehaving with a woman in a lodge in Amaravati, Guntur district. Though the incident took place on Monday, it came to light on Wednesday when several women's organisations and Andhra Pradesh Women's Commission chairperson Vasireddy Padma demanded action against the SI.

A couple checked into a lodge in Amaravati on Monday. The SI, who observed the couple, reached the spot with his personal car driver and raided the lodge.

Ramanjaneyulu threatened to register a case against the couple and shift them to the police station. As the couple requested him not to register a case, the police officer demanded Rs 10,000 bribe to leave them.

After some discussion, the police officer agreed to accept Rs 5,000. As the woman’s friend did not have cash with him, the SI asked the former to get the money from a nearby ATM.

Meanwhile, the police asked his driver to go along with the woman’s friend. The SI’s driver took the man to a far-off ATM citing that ATM kiosk near the lodge was out of service for past the last few days.

Taking advantage of the situation, Ramanjaneyulu misbehaved with the woman in the lodge. After sometime, the woman's friend returned with the cash after which police left the place.

After coming to know Ramanjaneyulu misbehaved with the woman at the lodge, the woman, along with his friend, lodged a complaint with the Amaravati police and also met DSP, Tullur, Y. Srinivasa Reddy on Tuesday. The DSP registered a case against the SI under Sections 354, 354 A, 384 and 385 read with 34 of IPC. He collected the preliminary evidence and submitted the report to the police department higher officials.

SP, Guntur Rural, Ch. Vijaya Rao said that based on the preliminary evidence, we suspended the SI and we have appointed a DSP rank officer to conduct thorough inquiry. The police launched a search operation to nab the SI and his driver Ponugupati Saikrishna.

Taking serious view of the incident, AP Women’s Commission chairperson Vasireddy Padma directed the police officials to take the SI into custody and complete the inquiry within a week.