President Ram Nath Kovind, in response to the petition filed by a 22-year-old from East Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, Indugumilli Vara Prasad, has asked the State government to take necessary action.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan has asked Mr. Vara Prasad to further liaise in the matter directly with the Assistant Secretary, General Administration Department, Government of Andhra Pradesh.

It is learnt that the GAD has forwarded the communi cation received from Rashtrapati Bhavan to Rajahmundry Rural Police. The GAD officials, however, did not respond.

It may be recalled that Mr. Vara Prasad had written to the President seeking permission to join the Naxalite movement. He was upset that the system had failed to do him justice by not arresting the culprits who had allegedly tonsured his head at the police station on July 20. He allegedly faced humiliation following the incident.

Tweeting Prasad’s letter and the acknowledgement from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed fears that youth were getting disillusioned by the undemocratic deeds of the ruling YSR Congress Party men.

Meanwhile, East Godavari Collector D. Muralidhar Reddy has sanctioned ₹50,000 ex gratia to Mr. Prasad.

Mr. Muralidhar said that the ex-gratia amount has been granted to the victim in the Sitanagaram case. Any further assistance from the government was yet to be decided as per the Victim's Compensation guidelines.