Jagan alleges police torture of youth in Guntur district, slams public assault

YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday accused the Guntur district police of "torturing" three youth over three days and threatening them with electric shocks.

Reddy visited the family of Chebrolu John Victor, one of the victims who was publicly assaulted by the police on April 25.

He alleged the three youth—Victor, Karimullah, and Doma Rakesh—were humiliated by being made to sit on the road and beaten with batons in full public view.

A video of the incident, which surfaced on May 26, triggered widespread outrage. It showed policemen kicking and stamping on the victims, sparking sharp criticism over police excesses.

Reddy claimed that the youth were targeted for questioning a local constable who allegedly tried to take Victor’s phone and motorcycle keys.

The YSRCP leader further alleged that a group of policemen picked up Chebrolu John Victor and Karimullah from Mangalagiri on April 25 and beat them while transporting them to Tenali.

Both were detained at a police station that night, where they were subjected to further custodial violence. The following day, they were publicly assaulted on a roadside in the Ithanagar area of Tenali, near a police station.

The opposition leader also alleged that, after three days of continuous torture, the police planted a knife in Victor’s pocket and summoned two local village revenue officers (VROs) to falsely document that Victor was carrying a deadly weapon.

He said a fabricated attempt-to-murder case was subsequently registered against the trio at the behest of the same constable they had earlier confronted.

On April 28, Reddy said the police produced the trio in a local court.

He urged people to join a protest on June 4, which the YSRCP plans to observe as "Betrayal day," marking one year of the TDP-led government in office.

Reddy said the police was acting as "collection agents" for TDP leaders, extorting kickbacks from sectors like liquor, sand, mining, and clubs.

He further claimed that false cases are being indiscriminately filed against former YSRCP ministers, MLAs, party leaders, and grassroots workers as part of a larger political vendetta.

Meanwhile, TDP MLA N Anand Babu hit back at Reddy, saying he should be ashamed of defending alleged ganja (marijuana) dealers, drug peddlers, and criminal gangs.

“When YSRCP MLC Anantha Babu murdered a Dalit driver named Subrahmanyam and had his body delivered at the doorstep, Jagan didn’t even react,” Babu told reporters, recalling a case during the YSRCP regime.