The Andhra Pradesh police have arrested Shaik Athavullah, a head constable of the Andhra Pradesh special police branch, for his involvement in the Muslim mob attack on Atmakur Police Station, as per local news reports.
On January 8, local Hindus and BJP workers were peacefully complaining to police about an illegal mosque construction in Bandi Atmakur town when a Muslim mob attacked them in front of police, and then turned its ire on the police station as well.
The riotous mob pelted stones and burnt vehicles as well. Several people, including police personnel, were injured. Police had to resort to firing in the air to bring the situation under control.
Police later arrested 28 accused in connection with the case. The Kurnool SP in a press meet confirmed SDPI involvement in the attack – at least 7 of those arrested were found to be members of SDPI, the political arm of the radical, quasi-terrorist Islamic organization PFI.
A report by Telugu daily Surya recently disclosed that Head Constable Shaik Athavullah of the Andhra Pradesh Police Special Branch was directly involved in the attack.
The report alleged that Head Constable Shaik Athavullah of the AP special police department joined in the Muslim mob attack on the Atmakur police station. He was supposed to be on duty at Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s camp office, however, he joined the SDPI-orchestrated attack on January 8.
As per the Surya report, police officials of the same department are trying to save Athavullah by creating records that he went on leave on the day of the attack. But when a police personnel goes on leave, a substitute policeman should come in his place. That apparently didn’t happen. APSP second battalion commandant P Ravi Shankar told Surya that they have ‘no information’ on the issue and haven’t received any complaint yet.
Head Constable Shaik Athavullah’s role was reportedly identified by Intelligence Police while watching the video clips of the incident which were shot using drone cameras. He has since been arrested. It is shocking that this serious disclosure of police being infiltrated by radical elements has not made it to our ‘national’ mainstream media.
A few days, Kerala Police office Anas PK, posted at the Karimannur police station in Idukki district, was fired after he was found to have leaked over 200 RSS and BJP workers’ personal information from a police database to SDPI. Anas had been suspended in December after the leak of personal information of Hindu leaders to PFI hit squads first came to light. There were allegations that attempts were made by some Kerala Police higher-ups to protect him.
Credible reports about infiltration of radical ideology in Kerala Police and existence of a WhatsApp group of Islamist police officers called the Pacha Velicham (Green Light) have been around for some time now. The Anas case just confirms what security experts have been warning about all along.
The recent bomb blast in Ludhiana district court was also carried out by an ex-police constable involved in drugs racket and with links to a Germany-based Khalistani group.
Our secular state – especially Opposition parties like Congress and sections of judiciary – is fooling citizens by pretending that radicalization of the so-called minorities is not an issue. Tackling the religious groups spreading these radical ideas should be the first priority if our state is serious about maintaining law and order and preventing disintegration of the union.
