ANAKAPALLI (Andhra Pradesh): An Indian Army soldier was allegedly assaulted by Andhra police during an argument over the installation of the Disha app.
The incident took place on Tuesday at Santabayalu in the Paravada Mandal of the Anakapalli district.
The victim, Aleemullah, a resident of Regupaleni, is a soldier stationed at the 52 Rashtriya Rifles Camp in Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir. Aleemullah had come home on leave on the 2nd of this month.
While he was waiting for a bus at Paravada Santabayalu, a constable asked the people gathered at the bus stop to download the Disha app. The Disha app, an initiative taken up by the State government for the safety of women, helps women register complaints of harrasment etc.
The police request led to an argument between Army personnel Aleemullah and the police after the soldier asked the police to identify themselves with their ID Cards. In the argument some of the police personnel assaulted Aleemullah.
The Paravada police tried to forcibly take Aleemullah in an auto. But Aleemullah resisted, grabbing the policeman’s collar and pulling him down. A constable then kicked him. Meanwhile, two more policemen arrived. The four of them together forced Aleemullah into the auto to take him to the station. Eventually, the police took his ID card and left.
Aleemullah later narrated the incident to Anakapalli SP Muralikrishna. SP Murali Krishna has ordered an inquiry into the matter. Following this, the SP initiated an investigation and reassigned the four constables involved in the event to the Armed Reserve.
Meanwhile, Telugu Desam Party General Secretary Nara Lokesh condemned the incident. In a post on social media platform X, he said the forced downloading of the Disha app onto men’s mobiles is raising suspicions.
“There are concerns regarding the Disha app, introduced by the government for women’s safety. The forced downloading of the Disha app onto men’s mobiles is raising suspicions. It’s outrageous that the police attacked Syed Aleemullah, a soldier from Regupaleni, Anakapalli district, who questioned this practice. It’s alarming that a soldier who risks his life for the country’s security finds himself in a precarious situation when he comes to AP,” he said in a post on X. (ANI)