An uneasy calm prevailed in Tuni town of East Godavari district a day after an unprecedented wave of violence hit the place during the road blockade protest by the Kapu community demanding backward class status.
Armed police personnel were patrolling the deserted roads and streets and the people were confined to their homes as prohibitory orders under Section 144 was imposed after a massive mob of protestors burnt down Ratnanchal Express train, a police station and 25 vehicles. Mob violence also left 19 persons injured one of them seriously. They include 15 policemen and four railway personnel.
Additional DGP (law and Order) RP Thakur was camping in the town closely monitoring the situation. “The situation is under control and a probe has been ordered in to Sunday’s violence”, he said. Police officials were going through the TV footage of violence to identify the miscreants to nab them. “Arrests will be made after the situation returns to normalcy”, a senior police officer said.
North Coastal Andhra Zone Inspector General Vishwajeet, and DIG Eluru Range Hari Kumar also visited the scenes of Sunday’s violence and inspected the Ratnanchal Express which was completely gutted.
State Director General of Police J V Ramudu vowed to bring those responsible for burning the trains, police and other vehicles and other violent incidents to the book. “None will be spared”, he said. The State Government rushed 3,500 additional security persons, including Indo Tibetan Border Police and the Central Reserve Police Force to restore order in the town as the local police was badly outnumbered by the rioters.
The rail services which were thrown out of gear by the burning of Ratnanchal Express was brought back to normalcy today and trains were running under police protection. Similarly the traffic on the Chennai-Kolakatta Highway was also normal.
Senior Kapu leader and former minister Mudragada Padmnabham abruptly announced late last night that he was withdrawing the agitation in view of the violence and ending the road blockade program.
Violence broke out after the “Kapu Garjana” (Roar of Kapus) rally attended by more than two lakh people to protest the failure of the state government in fulfilling the promise of including Kapu community in the list of backward classes in the state.