Court admits Tsundur plea

By S A Ishaqui
Hyderabad,July 8 : The AP High Court on Monday admitted a criminal revision petition filed by the family members of the Tsundur massacre victims.
The petitioners, Ms Mandru Tulasamma, Ms Angalakuduru Kotiratnam and Ms Jaladi Neelamma, appealed to the court to set aside the judgement awarded by the Special Session Judge-cum-IV additional session judge Guntur on July 31, 2007.
The special judge had sentenced 21 people to life imprisonment and 35 others to one year rigorous imprisonment besides a penalty of Rs 2,000 each. Eight dalits were killed and several others were injured allegedly by upper caste people on August 6, 1991 at Tsundur village in Guntur district.
The police had filed a chargesheet against 219 accused of whom 33 people died during the course of the hearing and seven were let off as the police did not find evidence against them. Of the 56 convicted, 21 were found guilty of charges under Section 302 of the IPC.
The petitioners alleged that the trial court failed to hold the accused in charge of rioting with dangerous weapons under Section 148 IPC.
The petitioners submitted that the sentence awarded by the trial court is inadequate for the offences under Section 148, 201 and 324 of IPC and urged the High Court to punish the other 107 accused. Justice G. Yethirajulu issued notice to the respondents while admitting the petition.