Ayurvedic medicos protest takes ugly turn in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The behaviour of a male constable in civil dress on Wednesday, who reportedly groped and pinched an Ayurvedic girl student at Charminar as women constables were trying to shift them from the place where they were staging a dharna, came in for sharp criticism from the students and social activists.

As the visuals of the incident went viral on news channels, the police said that they would inquire into the incident and take necessary action if the constable was found guilty and if his acts were found to be intentional.

It all happened when the Ayurvedic students were staging dharna against State government's proposal to shift Ayurvedic College from Charminar to Erragadda.

In the video, the male cop was seen lifting the girl student with his feet and delivered blows and pinched her. The impact of the blows was such that the girl started crying loudly and shouted for the help of others.

Ayurvedic medicine students, their parents and the civil society activists demanded immediate sacking of the cop for his heinous act. They further questioned the city police authorities, by asking if that was what the friendly policing was? They alleged that by taking advantage of the situation, the male constable groped women medicos and tried to play innocent.

They said when the women constables were there and they were on their job to shift the agitators by taking them into custody, what was the need for a male constable in civil dress to enter and indulge in the heinous act.

At a press conference, DCP Ambar Kishore Jha clarified that they had taken serious note of the issue and if need be will take strict action on the cop after verifying the facts. He said sometimes during executing the duty some intentional and unintentional incidents happen.

But he did not explain why a male constable had to push his way into the place when women constables were removing the students. The Ayurvedic students sat on a dharna demanding withdrawal of the proposal of the State government to shift the Ayurvedic college from Charminar to Erragadda.