HC orders preservation of CCTV footage at Saifabad station over alleged attack on BRS aides | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: The Telangana high court on Wednesday directed Saifabad police to preserve CCTV footage from the entry and exit points and the interrogation room at the police station, during a hearing of a petition filed by BRS working president KT Rama Rao’s PA Kumbala Mahender Reddy and PRO Mahesh Manikya.The duo approached the high court alleging that during their questioning on Sept 14 at the police station, in connection with the assembly ruckus, unidentified masked men barged into the interrogation room and attempted to attack them with deadly weapons.Claiming that the Saifabad station house officer and assistant commissioner of police stood by as “mute spectators” during the incident, they sought a formal probe, describing it as an attack inside a police station.Justice T Madhavi Devi directed the authorities to file counter-affidavits and adjourned the matter for two weeks.Petitioners’ counsel TV Ramana Rao submitted that, as per the notice, they appeared before the investigating officer but were made to wait till 2pm and later taken for crime-scene reconstruction.“Later in the evening, when they were in the interrogation room, and as advocates waited outside, a mob barged into the interrogation room, started hurling abuses at them for allegedly abusing cops during the assembly incident and tried to attack them,” alleged Ramana Rao, claiming that police did not accept their complaint about the attempted attack.Taking note of the allegations, the judge asked whether unknown persons could enter an interrogation room as alleged and what procedure governed such access.Countering the allegations, govt pleader for Home Mahesh Raje informed the court that the allegations were “blatant lies” and that the unknown persons alleged to be attackers by the petitioners had come to seek police permission to use a DJ at an event.“Furthermore, a complaint is already lodged in connection with the unknown persons’ movement at the police station and action is being awaited,” Raje added.Recording the submissions, the judge also directed police to ensure protection for the petitioners when they appear for questioning next.