AP Cops Faces Heat Over ‘Fake’ Encounter Of 20 Labourers

The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday faced criticism from all corners for the “cold blooded” killing of 20 labourers in Chittoor District. 

Political parties and rights groups condemned the incident as a violation of human rights saying the woodcutters, in search of jobs, were picked up from a bus and killed in cold blood.

The Left parties demanded probe into the incident and compensation to the next of kin of the victims.

The  CPI(M) and the CPI sought judicial enquiry into the killing of “ordinary workers” in Andhra Pradesh, alleging they had become the targets of “police brutality”.

Condemning the Andhra Pradesh killings, the CPI(M) Politburo said the police claims “are untenable as there is sufficient evidence to show that these labourers were killed with impunity.”

It claimed that those killed in Chittoor District were labourers hired for cutting down red sanders wood by those who illegally trade in it.

“The state government and the police authorities have been failing to check the smuggling of red sanders and instead of taking appropriate measures in this regard, ordinary workers have become the target of police brutality,” it said and demanded compensation for the next of kin of the Andhra incident victims.

Echoing the sentiment, CPI General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy said “till now not a single kingpin smuggler is arrested but only hired labourers are killed. There are allegations of involvement of the ruling party leaders in helping the smugglers. A proper enquiry into the circumstances of killing and smuggling is necessary.”

Human right activists demanded a probe independent of the AP government and by a Supreme Court judge.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu briefed Home Minister Rajnath Singh about the incident and the action taken by the state government in this regard.

During their telephonic conversation last night, Naidu explained to the Home Minister the circumstances leading to the killing of the 20 red sanders “smugglers” by Andhra Pradesh Police, official sources said.

Twenty people were gunned down in Chittoor district in a police operation said to be against red sanders smugglers that came under severe attack from the government and political parties in Tamil Nadu which claimed 12 victims were labourers from their state.