The police have arrested nearly 60 protesters on charges of attempt to murder, rioting, and unlawful assembly in connection with the clash between the police and protesters of the ‘Chalo Amalapuram’ march here on Tuesday.
The march was taken out by local residents who formed into different grounds under various banners that are opposing the State government’s proposal to rename Konaseema district as ‘Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district’.
At least 20 police personnel, including Konaseema SP K.S.S.V. Subba Reddy and DSP Y. Madhava Reddy, were injured in the clash. The protesters pelted stones at the police personnel before setting fire to the houses of Transport Minister Pinipe Viswaroop and Mummudivaram MLA Ponnada Satish, who lives here.
East Godavari SP Aiswarya Rastogi said that nearly 60 suspects had been picked up from the villages and arrested in connection with Tuesday violence, based on the video footage. Seven cases had been registered against the protesters. The hunt for the remaining accused continues across the Konaseema district. Mr. Rastogi is one of the SPs deputed to tackle the tense situation. His team was deployed in the Ravulapalem area.
Situation under control
The charges framed against the accused include attempt to murder, rioting, arson, and setting fire to habitations. All the charges are non-bailable. The situation is totally under control. The teams were on the task of identifying the protesters and arresting them, Mr. Rastogi said. Referring to stone-pelting and setting fire to the houses of public representatives, the SP said charges under the Arms Act, 1959 had also been framed.
“Transport Minister Pinipe Viswaroop and Mummudivaram MLA Ponnada Satish are safe and are under safe conditions,” said Mr. Rastogi.
Ban orders
According to police officials deployed to tackle the situation, above 600 police personnel had been deployed to prevent further clashes in Konaseema district.
“We did not impose a curfew. Only Section 144 is in the force, preventing any assembly. There is no disruption to the normal life and movement of people in the district”, Kakinada SP M. Raveendranth Babu said.
