Major reshuffle in Hyderabad Police after SHO's arrest for rape

Hyderabad, July 14 (IANS) In the wake of suspension and arrest of an SHO for rape of a woman, the Hyderabad Police Commissioner has carried out major reshuffle by transferring 69 inspectors.

After holding several rounds of discussions with senior officials, Police Commissioner C.V. Anand decided to transfer all Station House Officers (SHOs) of law and order and traffic. He also transferred and a majority of the officers working in others wings in Special Branch, Central Crime Station, Control Rooms and those working as detective inspectors in police stations who have completed 3 years of tenure in their present posts.

It was decided to conduct a 360 degree inquiry by the Special Branch into the personal life, reputation, integrity of all those inspectors picked to be SHOs of law and order police stations and especially for the Task Force. Such an inquiry will also be conducted in case of the officer selected as SHOs of even traffic police stations.

Citing the recent grave misconduct of ex-SHO of Marredpally Police Station, Nageshwara Rao, Anand urged the police officers to keep the honour of the uniform and maintain professional conduct. He termed Nageshwar Rao's misconduct as a criminal breach of trust.

"Be an all-rounder in handling Bandobust, crimes, addressing visitors and ensure all officers under your charge follow discipline while discharging duties," he added.

The incident came to light close on the heels of arrest of a police officer in Hyderabad on charges of rape of the wife of an accused and suspension of SI for sexually harassment and rape of a woman.

Nageshwar Rao has been arrested and sent to judicial custody for raping wife of an accused arrested by him in the past.

The officer was booked for rape, kidnap, attempt to murder and violation of licence rules of his duty weapon, based on a woman's complaint in Vanasthalipuram police station of Rachakonda Police Commissionerate.

The officer had raped the woman, attacked her husband, threatened him with revolver and kidnapped them on the intervening night of July 7-8.

According to the complainant, the car in which the accused had kidnapped them met with an accident at Ibrahimpatnam lake on the morning of July 8. She along with her husband escaped from there and lodged a complaint with the police.

The complainant told police that in 2018 her husband was arrested by the Taskforce in a credit card clone case and it was investigated by Nageshwar Rao. Later, the police officer hired her husband as an employee at his farmhouse.

Since then, the official was sexually harassing the woman and even tried to implicate her husband in a false case after he threatened to inform his family.