Central intelligence agencies, I-T department raid ex-army man’s office

Three separate teams, including intelligence and IT officials, arrived at Narasaraopet on Monday and took Subba Rao into custody for questioning.
High level police security beefed up in Visakhapatnam Railway Station. (Photo | G Satyanarayana)
High level police security beefed up in Visakhapatnam Railway Station. (Photo | G Satyanarayana)

VIJAYAWADA: Three days after the Narsaraopet police detained Avula Subba Rao—an ex-serviceman and director of Sai Defence Academy for his alleged role in the June 17 violence at Secunderabad Railway Station against the Agnipath scheme, teams of Central intelligence agencies and Income Tax (IT) Department reportedly raided the academy office, his residence, and a lodge at Narasaraopet town in Palnadu district on Monday.

Three separate teams, including intelligence and IT officials, arrived at Narasaraopet on Monday and took Subba Rao into custody for questioning. During their raids, they reportedly seized incriminating documents from his office pertaining to the students who took coaching at his academy in Narasaraopet and Secunderabad branches.

Sources said, the intelligence officials are gathering details of the students who underwent coaching at the academy, so that they can verify the accused, who had participated in the arson, arrested by the Secunderabad railway police.

A senior official told TNIE, “Intelligence officials are verifying all the YouTube videos posted by the Academy to check for any provocative content. Based on the probe by Secunderabad railway police, it has been learnt that students of various defence academies had participated in the riot. The investigation will now focus on the role of Subba Rao and his students who participated in the riot.”

Meanwhile, the Income Tax sleuths verified how much revenue Subba Rao was making through the Academy and whether he was paying taxes.

I-T officials verify revenue of academy

On Sunday, Lt Gen Anil Puri, Additional Secretary in the Department of Military Affairs, had said that all those aspiring to join the three services under the Agnipath scheme will have to give an undertaking that they did not participate in any protest or vandalism.

What happened at Secunderabad Station?
After the Union Cabinet approved the Agnipath scheme for temporarily recruiting youngsters to the three defence wings, widespread protests erupted across the country, demanding the Centre to withdraw it.

On June 17, a mob attacked several trains at the Secunderabad Railway Station, protesting against the scheme. One protestor was killed and 13 others were injured. Rail assets worth `30 crore were damaged in the chaos that continued for 12 hours.

Train schedules were resumed only after 9 pm on the day of the riot. Following this, security was beefed up at major stations across Andhra Pradesh. Additional forces were deployed at Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada stations to prevent any untoward incidents. Several defence academies in the State are also reportedly under the scanner.

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