Woman Lawyer Brutally Assaulted By Male Colleague In Hyderabad: Report

A woman lawyer was assaulted by her male colleague over political rivalry between them, reports said Wednesday. The incident occurred in Hyderabad on the premises of the Malkajgiri Court. Identified as Prasanna Naidu, the woman was hospitalised for injuries after the fight. Distressing visuals of her swollen face have emerged.

Naidu had contested local elections on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket while Srinivas Yadav, the man accused of assaulting her, is associated with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). The woman had allegedly been critical of the man on social media on multiple occasions.

The two confronted each other in court on Wednesday when a scuffle broke out. According to The New Indian Express, the fight began with both of them abusing each other before it escalated into a physical altercation. It led to Yadav beating Naidu up.

Suggested Reading: How Media Coverage Has Shifted From The Core Issue In Hijab Row To Sensationalism

Reports suggest Naidu and Yadav both approached the court to level charges against each other. The court directed them towards the police, who have said they will probe the case after receiving complaints.

Last year, the murder of a woman lawyer sent shockwaves across Hyderabad. In July, in Tolichowki area, Rayeesa Fathima was allegedly killed by her brother over a property dispute, Telangana Today reported. The man visited her house and following a heated argument, stabbed her. She was declared brought dead to the hospital while he was taken into custody.

Suggested Reading: Fall From Glory: Have Women Like Chanda Kochhar, Chitra Ramkrishna Let Women Down?

In a case that saw wide coverage last year, a lawyer couple in Telangana was murdered in broad daylight in February. G Vaman Rao and G Nagamani, both practicing in the High Court, were reportedly pulled out of their vehicle in Peddapalli and in the presence of several bystanders, hacked to death. The gruesome killing was allegedly videotaped by many too.

Advocates across India staged protests against the double murder that triggered a political storm in Telangana. A TRS leader was one of the multiple people arrested in connection to the case. Identified as Kunta Srinivas, the accused was suspended from his party too.

While certain reports quoting police indicated that the motive behind the killing was a personal grudge, Indian Express quoted sources saying that the couple were fighting important court cases and had allegedly filed police complaints over dubious land deals involving political names.