6 suspensions blot on Police functioning

Vijayawada, Dec 22: For the first time since the inception of the Vijayawada Police Commissionerate six officials including a Commissioner of Police were suspended and it would remain in Police history as a black day.Largescale violence erupted soon after the murder of former MLA Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga in 1989, but it was not so embarrassing for the Police force. Curfew was imposed for ten days in the city then and property of a section of people was ransacked.Yet the government had only suspended two lower rung Police officials in that incident.But Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajgopal's escape from Government Hospital amidst tight security has attracted the ire of the Chief Minister.The Government went to the extent of ordering the suspension of Police commissioner Rajendranath Reddy and five other officers holding them responsible for the getaway of the Vijayawada MP.Even the top Police brass confess in private that so many officials have never been suspended in the past.One CP and ACP are among the suspended officials.The city was once synonymous with goondaism,rodyism and many murders used to take place at the drop of a hat. However, the Government never took such a step such as suspending many Police officials in one sweep. The Government's step drew flak from the Police officials. A Police official alleged that they were made scapegoats in the present turmoil. 

During the 2004 Krishna pushkarams seven Bhavanis were killed in a stampede when the then commissioner T Krishna Prasad was suspended. Since the inception of the commissionerate 22 years ago, only SV Surendrababu and Sudip Laktakia  went on transfers with clean image.When Surendrababu was transferred, people's unions and mahila unions came onto the streets protesting against his transfer.Later, AB Venkateswara Rao, KSN Murthy, Umesh Sharaf and CV Anand had to leave the city with one allegation or the other.But the Police Department was entirely taken aback by the present suspensions.The resentment following the demoralisation on their faces is palpable.