Kappari Sravanthi Harassment
Former BRS MLA of Ibrahimpatnam, Manchireddy Kishan Reddy, and the former collector of Ranga Reddy district, Amoy Kumar, are facing charges under the SC/ST act filed by the Telangana police.
The allegations involve the verbal abuse of Ibrahimpatnam Municipal Chairperson Kappari Sravanthi.
A legal case has been registered invoking sections 504 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with section 3(1)(r)(s) of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities (POA) Act.
Kappari Sravanthi assumed the Chairperson position unanimously, allegedly after paying Rs 2.5 crore to MLA Manchireddy, who had initially demanded Rs 3 crore for the appointment.
Despite facing financial constraints, Sravanthi’s father-in-law, Kappari Laxmaiah, who served as the Sarpanch of Ibrahimpatnam, managed to procure the required amount by taking a hand loan.
Despite belonging to the Budaga Jangalu caste and being an SC candidate, Sravanthi was elected unanimously from the General Ward.
The then MLA Manchireddy reportedly guaranteed a smooth tenure, ensuring there would be no obstacles when she assumed office in January 2020.
“Police registered a case on a complaint filed by Ibrahimpatnam chairperson Kappari Sravanthi, who belongs to the Dalit community, and lodged the FIR” (574 of 2023).
Sravanthi has alleged that she was harassed mentally and abused by the MLA after she refused to allow the alienation of Garm Panchayat and municipality lands by the MLA, his son and other counsellors.
She further stated that the MLA later demanded that she pay him Rs 5 lakh every month, stating that he could remove her from the post anytime. Despite that, she turned him down.
As per the local people, Sravanthi faced unfounded accusations from BRS counselors, prompting the former Ranga Reddy collector to issue a showcase notice in response to the allegations.
In July 2022, Amoy Kumar summoned her to the collectorate and exerted pressure on her to apply for leave, warning of suspension if she refused, and asserted that she should refrain from confronting upper-caste individuals.
In her complaint, Sravanthi asserted that she frequently faced harassment to delegate her duties to the vice-chairman. Yusuf consistently pressured her to request a leave, and upon her resistance, he resorted to publicly insulting her on behalf of the collector.
Reportedly, she has called for decisive action against the former MLA, his son, the former collector, and Mohd. Yousuf for subjecting her to harassment, caste-based insults, and coercing her into taking a three-month leave.
Sravanthi made allegations that Kishan Reddy, the former MLA, had instructed her to allocate a separate chamber to Yusuf, directing her to vacate the TPO room.
Upon receiving her complaint, the police filed charges against all four individuals under the SC, ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act), and IPC sections pertaining to intentional insult, criminal intimidation, and initiated an investigation.
