After the recent violence that rocked Sri Padmavati Mahila Viswa Vidyalayam (SPMVV), which even led firing of two rounds in the air, the campus now resembles a picture of calm after the storm.
The campus, which was the epicentre of post-poll violence, and had to bear the brunt of the spate of attacks, is located less than a km from the SVU Campus Police Station.
Though it is also the venue for the strongroom where the EVMs are stored, the delayed arrival of police to the crime spot is attributed to Intelligence failure, as mentioned in the report submitted to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Retaliatory attack
Even as a vehicle belonging to the ruling party was torched in a remote village on the polling day, the department’s failure to anticipate a retaliatory attack has also come under the scanner.
The gathering of an unruly mob, in spite of the clamping of Section 144, is cited as a result of the absence of Intelligence inputs.
The action initiated by the ECI on Superintendent of Police Krishna Kanth Patel, Deputy Superintendents of Police Surendra Reddy (Tirupati), Bhaskar Reddy (Special Branch), Inspectors K. Rajasekhar (Special Branch) and O. Ramachandra Reddy (Alipiri) has created ripples in the district.
Meanwhile, the district administration has put in place a three-layered security system at the strongroom on the university’s fortified engineering college building, tucked deep inside the campus and far away from the main gate.
Collector Pravin Kumar inspected the strongroom where the EVMs pertaining to Tirupati (SC) Lok Sabha and seven Assembly constituencies are stored. He also oversaw the arrangements in place at the counting centre and visited the control room from where the CCTV footage of the counting process is monitored.
“The security involves deployment of Central Armed Forces, Armed Reserve Police and the local police forming the respective layers, who will stand guard 24 x 7,” said Mr. Pravin Kumar.
Returning Officers Aditi Singh, Nishant Reddy, and M. Narasimhulu, Additional Superintendent of Police J. Kulasekhar, District Revenue Officer Penchala Kishore accompanied him.
