Life has come a full circle for Vishwanath Channappa Sajjanar from Karnataka. Winter chill seems to be a challenging time for the IG rank IPS officer of the 1996 batch. In December 2008, the SP of Warangal faced a huge public outcry because of crimes against women. Three youngsters—identified as Srinivas Rao, Sanjay and Harikrishna—hailing from the north Telangana town, allegedly threw acid on two female students of a well-known engineering college. One of the victims had spurned the advances of the accused Rao. Both students were hospitalised with burn injuries to their face and body. At the time, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was the chief minister of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. The spotlight was on Warangal police and SP VC Sajjanar. Student organisations and civil society protested against the incident and public anger was palpable. Soon after, news broke one early morning that all three were killed in a police encounter. Widespread celebrations followed. Sajjanar turned a hero overnight. He was showered with flowers, gifted sweets and felicitated by women.
But, the police story raised a lot of questions. According to them, a police team took the three accused to the crime scene in the wee hours. The youngsters allegedly tried to attack the policemen with a country-made pistol they had hidden near the spot. After the incident, Sajjanar, who became a household name, worked in the state intelligence bureau. Because of the nature of the posting, he remained low-profile. According to his fellow officers, he was known for his efficient work in the bureau.
11 years after the Warangal incident, the onus is once again on Sajjanar to probe a ghastly case. A veterinary doctor was gangraped and murdered in an area which came under his jurisdiction. He took over as commissioner of Cyberabad, known for being a IT hub, last year. The police force was criticised for the way they responded in the initial hours of the victim's disappearance. Then, on Friday morning, in an incident that retained the echoes of the Warangal encounter, the accused were reported killed in a clash with the police. The accused were taken to Chatanpally, where the dead body of the victim was found, for recreation of crime scene. The police version of the story was that the accused tried to attack them with stones, snatching the gun of a police officer. All four were killed. Once again, Sajjanar emerged a public hero.
