One week after the fire accident at the fishing harbour here that had destroyed 48 boats and caused huge financial loss, the police arrested two persons, whose negligence was allegedly responsible for the blaze.
Further, the police confirmed that YouTuber Vasupalli Nani had no involvement in the case.
The arrested were Vasupalli Nani (not the YouTuber), alias Donga Kollu alias Banti, and his uncle Allipalli Satyam, both residents of Chengalaraopeta in the One-Town area.
Addressing the media here on November 25, Commissioner of Police A. Ravi Shankar said the accused had gone to the fishing harbour on November 19. They got into a boat (No. 887), consumed liquor, and cooked dry fish on a gas-stove. Later, Nani smoked a cigarette and flipped the half-burnt stub onto the adjacent boat bearing No. 815 that belonged to M. Hari Sitharam.
Sparks from the cigarette stub fell on the nylon fishing net in the boat. Noticing the smoke, the duo fled from the spot due to fear. The CC cameras in the vicinity had captured the visuals of the duo leaving the harbour premises, Mr. Ravi Shankar said.
The presence of inflammable substances such as diesel and LPG cylinders in the boats, and the breeze from the sea helped the fire spread from one boat to another in quick succession, he added.
As the accused had not taken any steps to prevent the fire from spreading, knowing fully well that their act of negligence caused it, the police altered the Sections from accidental fire to IPC Sections 437, 438, and 285.
As per the Fisheries Department officials, as many as 30 boats were fully damaged and 18 partially damaged. The loss was estimated to be ₹8.06 crore for the fully damaged boats and ₹83.70 lakh for the partially damaged ones.
“A number of police teams worked day and night to crack the case. They retrieved the footage from almost 47 CC cameras and checked them thoroughly. It was a Herculean task,” Mr. Ravi Shankar said.
“To strengthen the security at the harbour that has 11 jetties, there is a need for proper CC cameras, illumination, and fire and foam tenders,” he added. Three to four boat owners should come together and appoint a security guard. “We will recommend the same to the government as well as the Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) to ensure that such accidents do not recur,” he said.
‘Three have identical names’
Mr. Ravi Shankar said that during the course of investigation, the role of a person by name Vasupalli Nani was suspected. “Therefore, the police had to summon and question three persons with the same name, including the YouTuber. However, after ascertaining facts, the YouTuber was let off,” he said.
CCTV footage and cell tower dump analysis helped the police crack the case and arrest the accused, he added. DCP K. Anand Reddy was present.
