6 cops indicted for OU violence

The Crime Investigation Department that probed the alleged police excesses on journalists and students in the Osmania University campus during the recent pro-Telangana agitation, has found fault with six police officers, including an assistant commissioner of police.

The state government had ordered the CID probe following all-round condemnation of the brutal way in which the police unleashed violence on the agitating students and the journalists covering the developments.

Vehicles and cameras were damaged in the attack. A policeman was in fact caught on camera setting a two-wheeler on fire and later urinating on it.

Sources said the CID team headed by additional director-general of police, Mr A. Sivanarayana, had blamed the Kacheguda assistant commissioner of police, Mr K. Ramachandran, the OU inspector, Mr B. Anjaiah, and four other low-ranking personnel for the violence.

The CID, however, let off senior police officials of DIG and SP rank, who were in full control of the situation that day and has put the whole blame on the lower rung personnel.

In its report, the CID also highlighted lack of coordination between the state police and paramilitary forces that were in action on the OU campus.

Mr Ramachandran was not available for comment, while Mr Anjaiah merely said, “As the station house officer, I was on the spot that day.”

The home minister, Ms P. Sabita Indra Reddy, said she had not yet gone through the report. “Based on the directions from the government, action will be taken against those found guilty,” said the director general of police, Mr R.R. Girish Kumar, who refused to divulge more details of the report.

The Press Council of India had appointed a three-member committee to probe the police excesses on mediapersons. This committee will also publish its report on Wednesday.

Cyber stalker held in city

The CID Cyber crime police on Saturday arrested a computer graduate who stole personal data of 150 net users and harassed them by sending obscene e-mails and messages.

P. Venkata Sai Krishna, 28, was arrested based on a complaint lodged by one of the victims, Ms Usha Reddy, an advocate. He was staying with his grandparents at Mahendra Hills here and is jobless.

Krishna used phishing techniques to get the e-mail IDs and passwords. He designed a web page in a free-hosting site resembling Yahoo.com login page. He used chat rooms to lure people by entering text like ‘photos of beautiful ladies’. When a person clicked the URL, it would lead to the web page resembling Yahoo.com login page. The page used to show that the session had expired, following which the unsuspecting users would type their e-mail IDs and passwords. These were captured by the fake web page.

The SP, CID Cyber Crime, Ms B. Sumati, said using the data the accused got access to information like address, phone numbers, date of birth, etc. He also used to send SMSes to the mobile numbers of woman victims.

The cyber crime police booked a case under section 66 read with 43 A (getting e-mail IDs illegally) identity theft, 67 (publishing of obscene information in electronic form) of IT Amendment Act 2008.

Cops joined goons to loot Reliance

Several policemen had joined anti-socials to loot the Reliance mart in Anantapur in the protests that followed the botched media exposé on YSR’s death, sleuths of the CID have found out after analysing CCTV and TV channel footage.

Top cops are now planning to book cases and take departmental action against the policemen involved. “We are trying to get more footage to identify the policemen allegedly involved in the looting,” said the CID additional DG, Mr A. Sivanarayana.

The Anantapur DSP, Mr Satyanarayana, too, is under fire for failing to prevent the attacks on Reliance Mart. The Rayalaseema IG, Mr R.P. Tagore, said he has sent a report on the incidents to the DGP, Mr R.R. Girish Kumar for action.