Relief for Dattatreya, 3 Telangana ministers in rail roko case

Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and three Telangana ministers were today granted relief by a railway court at Secunderabad in connection with a case registered against them by RPF over 'rail roko' protests held during 2011 for formation of Telangana state.
Along with Dattatreya, Telangana ministers Nayani Narasimha Reddy, K T Rama Rao and T Padma Rao, Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) leader M Kodandaram and senior BJP leader G Kishan Reddy were among eight persons who appeared before the Metropolitan Magistrate Court for Railways.
During examination under section 251 CrPC, they pleaded guilty for offence under section 147 (Trespass and refusal to desist from trespass) of the Railways Act.

They requested the court to take lenient view with regard to the sentence and accordingly the court allowed their plea and released them under section 3 (power of court to release certain offenders after admonition) of the Probation of Offenders Act (PO) Act, Public Prosecutor Secunderabad Railways Division told PTI.
"Since it is their first offence, the court warned them and released them."
During 2011, as part of Sakala Janula Samme (general strike) organised in support of separate statehood demand for Telangana, the BJP and TRS leaders along with members of pro-Telangana organisations trespassed into railway track and organised 'Vanta Varpu' (mass cooking).

However, in view of the rail-roko call, the railway administration had already cancelled the trains and since the trains were suspended, there was no rail-roko held.
While pleading guilty, they also submitted before the court that they participated in the agitation in larger interests of Telangana people.