Anticipatory bail for Shankar Rao

Green Fields residents disappointed over verdict

Former MLA Dr P Shankar Rao was granted anticipatory bail by a Sessions Court on Tuesday. Last month, a case was slapped against the Congress leader for allegedly grabbing 2,200 square yards at Green Fields in Kanajiguda, near Alwal. Dr Shankar Rao arrived at 10th Metropolitan Magistrate Court at Neredmet on Tuesday and deposited sureties. The residents were visibly unhappy at the court’s decision.

“We are terribly upset that Dr Rao got bail with ease. Will we get justice from powerful politicians like him who are playing with the lives of 1000 plot owners? All the 8 plot owners who were present outside the court hall were in tears,” said one of the complainants.

“We are also angry with revenue officials of RR Dist, who were supposed to do their job of booking cases on these land grabbers. But they did not bother to act for the past five years either due to fear or after they took favours from Shankar Rao. All the documents in the court proved that he was guilty of omissions and commissions. But the officials did not act. We were forced to book cases by spending our own money to protect government lands, which were to be regularised under GO 166. We might now approach higher courts for further action,” the complainant added.