Court asks cops to probe if Shinde, Chidambaram 'cheated' people of Telangana

A metropolitan court on Tuesday ordered the police to probe the allegation that Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and his predecessor P Chidambaram "cheated" the people of Telangana with their statements on the statehood issue, even as the region continued to simmer over the demand.

Metropolitan Magistrate of Rangareddy district UD Durga Prasad directed the police to investigate the charge levelled in a complaint by Telangana Junior Advocates' Association president Naresh Kumar that the two Union ministers had "cheated" the people of Telangana, and file a status report by February 14.

Kumar has sought court's direction to the police to probe the matter under section 420 (cheating) of IPC.

Following an all-party meeting in Delhi on Telangana on December 28 last year, Shinde had said a decision on the vexed issue would be made within a month.

With the time line ending today, the home minister had yesterday stated that a little more time is needed to reach a final decision on the Telangana issue for which the consultation process was on.

On December 9, 2009, the then Union home minister Chidambaram had announced that the process to create a Telangana state would be initiated with moving of a resolution in the state assembly.

However, as protests mounted against the proposed bifurcation of the state in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, Chidambaram had said on December 23, 2009 that the Central government wanted to consider "all views" on the demand for a separate Telangana state and that "peace and tranquility should be maintained".

Effectively putting the demand for a separate Telangana state in abeyance, Chidambaram had said, "At a meeting of all political parties on December 7 a consensus emerged on Telangana. The situation has altered now. Centre wants to take all views before coming to a decision. Peace and tranquility should be maintained."

Meanwhile, Cyberabad Police Commissioner Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao has said he is yet to receive the court's order.

Asked if the police would lodge any case against the Union Ministers, the officer said, "We have to first go through the copy of the order and act accordingly."

Meanwhile, Telangana region, with its epicentre in state capital Hyderabad, simmered as protests continued on the second day of 36-hour 'Samara Deeksha".

Several members of the Osmania University Joint Action Committee were taken into custody after they, along with some belonging to other organisations, pulled down barricades in their bid to hold a protest march from Indira Park to Gun Park against alleged delay in creation of a separate Telangana state.

Police contingents, deployed in large numbers, pushed the agitators back and rounded up several protesters, official sources said.

A group of pro-Telangana students forced their way into the chamber of vice-chancellor of Kakatiya University in Warangal and threatened to set themselves on fire. The vice-chancellor was, however, not in his chambers when the protest happened, police said.

An indication that resolution of the contentious Telangana statehood demand will be delayed further had also come yesterday from the Congress which said further discussions were required on the issue.

"We need some more consultations with senior leaders of Andhra Pradesh's all three regions and for that we shall have to invite them here," Congress general secretary in-charge of Andhra Pradesh Ghulam Nabi Azad had said.