KIRLAMPUDI: As expected, the police have kept Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham under house arrest, as a pre-emptive attempt to foil his Satyagraha Padayatra in the district from Wednesday to mount pressure on the government to accord BC status to Kapus.
After keeping him under house arrest, a large contingent of policemen was posted at his residence to deal with possible trouble as the police action had heightened tension in the district.
On Tuesday, when Padmanabham came out of his residence in a car at about 5 pm on his way to Ravulapalem from where he intended to begin his padayatra, the police stopped him in his tracks, telling him that he cannot leave his house as he has been kept under house arrest.
Officer on special duty Sivasankar Reddy said the section 144 of CrPC & Section 30 of Police Act were in force in the district and since Kapu JAC leaders have not taken permission for the padayatra, it would not be allowed under any circumstances.
Eluru Range DIG Ramakrishna visited Ravulapalem and Kirlampudi and enquired about the security arrangements. Policemen were summoned to the residence of Mudragada on Monday night itself and converted it into an impenetrable fortress.
On Tuesday morning, additional police forces arrived. Nearly 2,000 policemen from other places were deployed at Kirlampudi and its surroundings.