The Andhra Pradesh police on Wednesday arrested seven out of the eight accused who allegedly attacked a Dalit woman and dragged her, after she objected to the digging of a pit at Jerripothulapalem village in Visakhapatnam district.
The incident took place in Pendurthi mandal on Tuesday, where the woman alleged that she was attacked by TDP workers.
The Times of India reported that the woman, R Durgamma, lodged the complaint and named Madaka Appala Raju, V Srinu, Salapu Joga Rao, Raparthi Gangaraj, Madaka Parvathi, S Gangamma and M Ram as accused.
CPI activists claimed that the police station did not register the woman's complaint initially, until party workers staged a demonstration on Wednesday.
A case was registered under Sections 447 (criminal trespass), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and sections of the Scheduled Castes & Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Meanwhile, AP SC/ST Commission Chairman K Sivaji asked Visakhapatnam district collector Pravin Kumar to investigate the issue.
Speaking to TNM, CPI, Greater Visakhapatnam secretary, M Pydiraju, on Wednesday said, "There were many Dalit families in the area who had been engaged in agriculture in a land in survey number 77, after it was assigned to them by the government many years ago."
“All of a sudden, yesterday (Tuesday) evening, TDP workers brought JCB machines and destroyed crops that were being cultivated. Because of this, the enraged Dalits protested. In retaliation, they assaulted her and tore her clothes,” Pydiraju added.
Speaking to TNM, the investigating officer said that the attack was the result of a small land dispute, and nothing else.
"It was a land dispute, and it was not based on her caste. The investigation is underway, and more details will be revealed later,” ACP Arjun said.