Visakhapatnam: In the Anakapalle district of Andhra Pradesh, an altercation unfolded between Andhra Pradesh Police personnel and an Indian Army soldier regarding the forced installation of the Disha app on a mobile phone, resulting in a public assault.
The incident occurred on a Tuesday. Syed Alimulla, who serves in the 52nd Rashtriya Rifles Camp in Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, was on leave and had returned to his home in Regupalini village of Yelamanchili mandal. While waiting for a bus in Parvada, four police personnel, including a female officer, requested him to install the Disha app on his mobile phone.
They took possession of his mobile phone and initiated the app installation. However, when a constable entered the OTP received on his phone, Alimullah voiced concerns about potential cybercrimes associated with the OTP. He requested the police constables to show their identity cards, as their names were not displayed on their uniforms.
In response, the accused officers asked him if he could not recognize them as police officers by their uniforms. They insisted that he accompany them to the police station. When he declined, three policemen physically attempted to escort him, with one of them holding onto his collar. They made efforts to compel him into an autorickshaw. As the victim continued to protest, the police personnel confiscated his identity card.
Subsequently, the army jawan approached the Anakapalle District Superintendent of Police, K.V. Murali Krishna, to file a complaint. The SP ordered an investigation into the matter and attached the four constables involved in the incident to the Armed Reserve.
Meanwhile, Nara Lokesh, the general secretary of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), denounced the incident. He expressed on Twitter that there is no mandate to force the installation of the Disha app and criticized any wrongdoing carried out under the guise of the government’s Disha App intended for women’s safety. He wrote, “Forcibly installing the Disha app for women on men’s mobiles raises suspicion. It is disheartening that the police resorted to violence against Syed Alimulla, a resident of Regupaleni in the Anakapalle district, for raising questions about this issue. A soldier who risks his life for the country’s security should feel secure when in Andhra Pradesh.”
The Disha Act, implemented in 2020, was introduced to combat crimes against women. Additionally, the state government launched the Disha App to provide assistance to women in distress.
An #army personnel stationed in #JammuKashmir faced physical assault and rough treatment at the hands of #APPolice in his hometown of #Anakapalle district in #AndhraPradesh. The police officers were pressuring him to install the #Disha women safety app on his mobile phone,… pic.twitter.com/vU8vnu4jzK
— Madhuri Adnal (@madhuriadnal) November 8, 2023
