TIRUPATI: With the fire accidents continuing unabated under mysterious circumstances at Kothasanambatla village in Chandragiri mandal for the past one week, the Tirupati district police intensified vigil on Saturday.
The police authorities installed CCTV cameras in front of the houses where the fire mishaps were reported. As many as 18 women police personnel were deployed, besides the existing police outpost in the village.
In order to take stock of the situation, district collector K Venkataramana Reddy and Chandragiri legislator Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, ASP Venkata Rao and officials visited the village and inquired about the fire mishaps.
Appealing to the panic-stricken villagers to stay calm, Chevireddy said that the remnants of the blaze have been collected from the incident spots and had been sent to the forensic lab to ascertain the reason behind the fire. The MLA urged the villagers not to believe in rumours.
Though a man, who allegedly performs black magic, has been reportedly taken into custody, there has been no official confirmation so far. Police reportedly recovered some chemical substances from the man’s house. Meanwhile, the fear-gripped villagers have stopped stepping out of their houses for work.