Police told to lift cases against students from Oct 2

The process of lifting of police cases against students and protestors who participated in the pro and anti separate statehood agitations since November last year, would begin from October 2.

Home Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy on Friday told media persons that Chief Minister K Rosaiah directed the police department to start lifting the cases from Gandhi Jayanti day.

Ms Indra Reddy as many as 1,171 cases have been filed during the unrest over the bifurcation of the state since November 2009 to August 15, 2010.

Of these 1,171 cases, 982 cases were registered against protestors from Telangana region while 189 cases were booked against protestors from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema region.

Ms Indra Reddy said that 5,374 persons were charged of being involved in these 1,171 cases, 4,689 from Telangana and 685 from Seemandhra.

She added that around 34,000 protestors were taken into preventive custody and released on the same day.

The Home Minister revealed that investigation was still going on in some of the 1,171 cases, while some were in Court.

Ms Indra Reddy stated that the government has given directions to the state police to try and lift as many cases as possible.

The Home Minister also said that the police have been directed to list out attacks against policemen and also arson cases which took place in each district.

Ms Indra Reddy was flanked by former home minister Jana Reddy who said that the decision by the Chief Minister had come after several requests from the Congress Legislators from all the three regions of the state.

Mr Jana Reddy expressed the hope that the entire process would be completed within two months.

Earlier, the Home Minister, along with Mr Jana Reddy met Director General of Police K Aravinda Rao to discuss the issue.