VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government has decided not to proceed with an appeal against the acquittal of all accused in the high-profile Tuni arson case of 2016.
The case, registered as Crime No. 77/2016 at Tuni Police Station, involved charges under Sections 146, 147, 153, and 174(a) and (c) of the Railways Act. The VII Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Court for Railways, Vijayawada, acquitted the accused in its judgment dated 1 May 2023.
Initially, the state government had issued orders (G.O.Rt.No.852 dated 2 June 2025) instructing the Public Prosecutor to file an appeal. However, following a review of the judgment, the decision was reversed. As per G.O.Rt.No.869 issued on 3 June 2025, the government has now decided not to pursue the appeal. The Public Prosecutor at the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati, has been directed to implement the new decision accordingly.
The case dates back to 31 January 2016, when protesters attending the ‘Kapu Garjana’ rally, led by former minister Mudragada Padmanabham and other leaders, stormed the Tuni railway station. The demonstrators set fire to the Ratnachal Express and other public property in a violent escalation of their demand for reservation for the Kapu community.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) had registered cases against 41 individuals under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code — including unlawful assembly (143), rioting (147), rioting with deadly weapons (148), assault on a public servant (353), mischief by fire or explosives (438), and criminal conspiracy (120B) — along with provisions of the Indian Railways Act, 1989, and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.
In its 2023 verdict, the Vijayawada Railway Court acquitted all 41 accused, citing insufficient evidence and procedural lapses. The court also ordered disciplinary action against three RPF officials for conducting a flawed investigation. The chargesheet in the case was filed in 2021, with the trial running until 2023 and involving the examination of 25 witnesses.
