VIJAYAWADA: Chief Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy on Monday submitted the preliminary report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that probed the incidents of violence reported on the day of polling (May 13) and the aftermath in the districts of Palnadu, Tirupati and Sri Sathya Sai to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
During its two-day investigation, the 13-member SIT found that many of these offences were ‘extremely serious in nature because a multitude of miscreants brazenly participated in the offences as two groups, pelting stones indiscriminately, which potentially could lead to serious injury or even death’.
The SIT also identified many lapses in the investigation and gave clear instructions to investigation officers to submit a compliance report at the earliest.
In the 150-page report, SIT head Vineet Brijlal mentioned that a total of 1,370 people were named as accused in 33 cases registered in the three districts in connection with poll related violence.
The SIT sub-teams thoroughly reviewed the cases filed and the investigation done so far by going through the records, visiting the scene of offences, interacting with investigation officers and aggrieved parties, verifying the physical evidence collected, witness statements, whether appropriate sections of law were applied or not, whether all incidents were registered as cases or not and whether accused identified were arrested or not.
Poll violence
22 cases in Palnadu
4 Tirupati
7 Anantapur
Accused cited in FIRs 1,370
731 identified
639 yet to be identified
124 arrested
94 given notices
Officials told to complete pending arrests soon
“In all the 33 cases, a total of 1,370 people were cited as accused and 124 among them were arrested, and notices under Section 41A of CrPC were served on 94 persons. The investigation officers concerned have been asked to complete the pending arrests of the accused at the earliest,” reads the report.
Special teams were formed to identify and apprehend the pending accused at the district level and investigation officers were instructed to file memos in the respective courts for adding appropriate sections of the law. Vineet Brijlal submitted the report to the DGP, who in turn submitted the same to the Chief Secretary and the ECI. After getting the SIT report, the DGP directed the district SPs concerned to complete the investigation in coordination with SIT sub-teams.
It is learnt that the ECI may initiate action against the errant officials based on the preliminary report of SIT, for their failure to prevent the poll violence and lapses in case investigation.
It may be recalled that the DGP constituted the SIT to review the cases filed and status of investigation pertaining to incidents of violence reported on the day of polling and the aftermath in the State, as per the directions of the ECI.