HC relief to oustee farmer issued bind over notice by Akkannapet Tahsildar

Gouravelli Reservoir oustee demanding fair compensation for lands facing submergence gets interim stay from High Court

Baddam Shankar Reddy, a farmer from Gudatipally village in Akkannapet mandal of Siddipet district which faces submergence under Gouravelli Reservoir, is among the more vocal farmers in his village seeking fair compensation for the lands being acquired for the reservoir. He recently got an interim stay from the High Court on the bind over notice issued by Akkannapet Mandal Executive Magistrate after he was arrested and put in jail by the police for being in the forefront of the agitation.

Mr. Shankar Reddy was one among the four arrested by the police last year and kept in jail for some 45 days for laying siege, along with a large number of villagerrs, to the office of the Husnabad MLA at Husnabad on June 13, 2022, as part of the agitation. The other three arrested were Angeti Tirupathi Reddy, Ragi Srinivas and Bukya Sakru. Non- bailable cases were registered against 17 persons who are absconding.

“On the midnight of June 12, 2022, police raided our village, beat some people black and blue and shifted about 30 persons to a police station. The next day, villagers took up a Padayatra from Gudatipally to Husnabad where we observed a bandh. When we reached the house of MLA V. Satish Kumar there was a commotion and some TRS activists attacked us. We are fighting for our rights and nothing else,” Gudatipally village sarpanch B. Raji Reddy told The Hindu.

On December 9, 2022, Mr. Shankar Reddy had received a bind over notice from Tahsildar and Mandal Executive Magistrate of Akkannpet to ‘bind over’ based on the complaint of the Akkannapet police.

Show cause notice issued under Section 111 of Cr. P. C. read: “A report has been filed in this court under Section 107 of Cr.P.C. by the Station House Officer, Akkannpet Police Station, on December 9th, submitting that you are habitual offender and are habitually committing or attempt to commit, or abetting the commission of offences involving a breach of peace in the limits of police station. With a view to prevent you from committing further offences and disturbing peace, to bring a behavioural change in you, and for your good behaviour, it was prayed to bind you over under Section 107 of CrPC before this court for a sum of ₹1 lakh for two sureties for like some amount to the satisfaction of this court for a period of six months.”

Worried by the notice, Mr. Shankar Reddy approached the High Court seeking justice. On January 4, Justice B. Vijayasen Reddy of the High Court heard the petition and issued an interim stay. The case has been posted for February 15th.