CHITTOOR: Chittoor police have booked cases against 40 people and listed TDP Punganur constituency in-charge Challa Ramachandra Reddy, also known as Challa Babu, as accused number 1 on charges of attacking police on duty with stones, empty beer bottles and sticks on the outskirts of Punganur on Friday.
Screening the footage of the violence for reporters in Chittoor on Saturday, Anantapur range DIG RN Ammireddy stressed that the main cause for the unrest was the change in the scheduled route for TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s roadshow.
Stating that the route plan was changed on the directions of Challa Babu, he said, “The incident that left 50 police personnel injured appears to be pre-planned. The attack on police was pre-meditated. Fortunately, people were not hurt."
Pointing out that 13 police officers were seriously injured, he added, “We have taken around 40 people into custody and the probe is underway.”
Elaborating on the sequence of events, the DIG explained, “After the mob tried to enter into Punganur by removing the barricades placed on the outskirts of the town, police resorted to mild lathi-charge to control the situation. Following this, the protestors pelted stones, empty beer bottles and sticks at the police personnel. Despite such provocation, police showed restrain to maintain law and order.”
Further, Ammireddy urged political leaders not to make provocative comments during public meetings and support the police in maintaining law and order. Reiterating that the attack was pre-planned, Chittoor SP Y Rishanth Reddy said a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered under IPC Section 307.
On the bandobust arrangements for Naidu’s visit, the SP explained that they had deployed around 400 police personnel, including rope party and other staff, in the district. Terming the attack inhumane, Rishanth Reddy said, “A group of protestors tried to enter Punganur and more than 2,000 protestors attacked police.”
He added the accused will be arrested soon. Rs 10,000 aid for injured cops The injured police personnel were shifted to a Chittoor government hospital from Punganur. Earlier in the day, Ammireddy visited the cops at the government hospital and handed over Rs 10,000 to each of them as immediate relief. Meanwhile, DGP Rajendranath Reddy directed DIG Ammireddy and SP Rishanth Reddy to conduct a thorough probe into the incident.