Suspension of SI demanded

Yemmiganur (Kurnool): People of Gonegandla staged a protest demonstration in the mandal headquarters on Thursday demanding suspension of Sub-Inspector Devendra Kumar for indulging in large-scale corruption.

Speaking on the occasion, a tractor owner alleged that the SI who colluded with some sand smugglers of Gonegandla, H Kairavadi and B Agraharam villages, was preventing others from mining sand for their housing needs even after the announcement of the free sand policy by the State Government. The sand mafia with the backing of the SI was selling a tractor load of construction material at a price ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000.

The SI demanded bribe from tractor owners when they sought permission to mine sand. Later, 2 JCBs and 12 tractors were seized for their failure to pay the bribe fully. The SI released the seized tractors and JCBs after taking bribe from the owners. He abused the people who questioned his `excesses'. He even threatened to implicate them in false cases, the tractor owner said. Later, the people complained to the top police officials against the excesses of the SI.