Khammam: Irate women farmers hold dharna, allege harassment in sub-jail

Khammam: High tension prevailed on Wednesday morning, when women farmers including two lactating mothers, who were released from sub-jail in Khammam on the day, staged a protest in front of the sub-jail against the harassment of jail staff and officials.

It should be noted here that forest officials prevented farmers from cultivating podu lands in Yellanna Nagar village of Konijerla mandal on August 5. Heated arguments took place between the forest officials and farmers and the former filed a complaint against the women farmers with the police. Based on this complaint, police have arrested 25 women farmers on the charges of attempt to murder and others and sent them to jail. CPI (ML) leaders extended support to the women farmers and demanded the district officials to withdraw cases against them.

After six days, the women farmers, belonging to BC, SC and ST communities, were released on Wednesday morning.

The women farmers have alleged that the jail officers and staff had beaten them and made them to clean bathrooms and others works. CPI (ML) leaders, who came to receive the prisoners, supported their protest. Party State assistant secretary Potu Ranga Rao demanded that the government should immediately punish the police personnel, who harassed the prisoners.

Speaking to The Hans India, Sub-Jail Superintendent A Sridhar said that they have provided good diet and other facilities to the women farmers. Condemning the allegations of harassment by the women farmers, he stressed that no one had harassed them in jail.

"Even we have given vaccine to the women farmers and the lactating mothers and their children are looked after by the Women and Child Welfare department officials," he added.