TUNI (EAST GODAVARI DT):Even as Tuni town is limping back to normalcy a day after large-scale violence in the wake of the Kapu Ikya Garjana, the police have begun identifying the arsonists who set fire to Ratnachal Express and later torched rural police station in the town.
With Kapu activists having left the town as if they were never there, the vehicular traffic on National Highway No 16 became as normal as ever. From early hours of Monday, train services resumed albeit slowly, much to the relief of the passengers.
Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) RP Thakur said they would not leave anyone who had resorted to violence. “We are identifying the arsonists with the help of video grabs. We will take appropriate action against them once the identification process is over. We have already registered 30 cases under various sections,” Thakur said.
The police have imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 of the IPC in Tuni and under Section 30 of the Police Act in the rest of the district which requires people to take permission from the police for holding any demonstrations.
After a review of the Law and Order, Thakur told mediapersons that it was very clear that the violence was not spontaneous but was done in accordance with a plan. That the violence was the result of a pre-meditated plan was evident with fresh evidence emerging that some persons, who broke away from the agitating group on railway tracks, wore masks and entered the driver’s cabin of Ratnachal Express and beat up the drivers.
Later they began raining stones on the train to trigger panic. Immediately the passengers got down from the train and the arsonists then set fire to the seats made with highly inflammable material.