The Nizamabad police registered a case under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, (Nirbhaya Act) 2013 against the former Congress leader and currently TRS Rajya Sabha member D. Srinivas’s son, D. Sanjay, former mayor, here on Friday.
According to the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Nizamabad North, they received a complaint from 11 students of Shaankary Nursing College, which is run by Srinivas’ son Sanjay. The complaints came to light when the girls and their families approached the Progressive Organisation of Women (POW) in Nizamabad to file a complaint.
On Thursday, POW reached out to the State Home Minister and State Director General of Police to take immediate action against the accused, following which, Home Minister Naini Narsimha Reddy directed DGP Mahender Reddy to accept a formal complaint by the POW and look into the matter.
The case has been registered against Sanjay, under sections 354, 506, 509 and 342 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Speaking to The News Minute, Sandhya, an activist and POW leader said, “Sanjay is quite notorious and there already are pending sexual harassment cases against him. There are 13 girls in the first year of BSc Nursing at that college in all, and 11 of them approached us at our office and gave a complaint against Sanjay.” They also alleged that Sanjay recently sexually abused a girl student who met with an accident and was seeking his permission to go home.
Responding to the sexual harassment allegations against him, Dharmapuri Sanjay, ex-Mayor of Nizamabad city, on Friday said that the allegations are “politically motivated” and aimed at “targeting” his family. He went on to justify by saying, “There is no truth in the allegations against me. I didn’t go to Samkri College and I don’t have any relationship with the college. I don’t even know who is studying in the college. I have a wife and children. I’m not in any live-in relationship with anyone. Someone told those students to speak against me and make these allegations.”
The allegations surfaced between the broiling political rift TRS has been facing. Nearly a month ago, Nizamabad MP Kavitha with her allies had complained against D Srinivas to party chief alleging that he was indulging in anti-party activities. It is also rumoured that Aravind, another son of D Srinivas, is aspiring to become an MP from BJP Nizamabad. The party accused him of sabotaging the party to ensure his son’s political career flourishes.
