GUNTUR: Ministers Ambati Rambabu, Vidadala Rajini and Meruga Nagarjuna, District Collector M Venugopal Reddy and local MLAs on Tuesday distributed cheques for Rs 2 lakh towards ex gratia to the families of the women died in a stampede at a public event of Vuyyuru Foundation on Sunday. The ministers visited the houses of the deceased and handed over the Rs 2 lakh ex gratia announced by the State government to the victims. They assured the families that all required assistance will be provided to them.
Later, they distributed Rs 50,000 compensation to the 19 injured, who are still undergoing treatment at Guntur GGH. Ambati demanded that TDP chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu take a break from roadshows and spare the lives of innocent people for the time being. “Luring people with gifts to boost their own ego is a disgusting act and TDP is completely responsible for the tragic incident that happened on New Year Day,” he observed.
Meanwhile, police produced Vuyyuru Srinivas, MD of Vuyyuru Foundation, who organised the Chandranna Sankranti Kanuka distribution programme, before the district magistrate Monday midnight. The police took him into custody on Monday afternoon in Vijayawada and shifted him to Guntur. Upon receiving a complaint from the kin of the deceased, they filed a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against Srinivas. However, the magistrate rejected the remand petition of the police, stating that the incident doesn’t come under Section 304(ii) of IPC and issued bail to Srinivas.