Post-Poll Violence: SIT finds 1,152 still at large

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh police have arrested only 124 accused persons out of the 1,370 allegedly involved in the recent election day and post-poll violence in the three districts of Palnadu, Anantapur and Tirupati.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Inspector-General of Police Vineet Brijlal formed to investigate the riots, submitted a 150-page report to DGP Harish Kumar Gupta, according to which 1,152 accused persons were yet to be arrested. The SIT noticed that 33 violence incidents took place in three districts. SIT sub-teams camped at the districts concerned and thoroughly reviewed the cases identified regarding investigation done so far.

The teams visited the sites of offences, interacted with investigation officers, aggrieved persons, verified physical evidence, witnesses' statements and also checked if appropriate sections of law were applied or not. They also checked if all the incidents were registered as cases, accused persons identified and whether arrests were made or not, among others. Of the arrested persons, 94 were served notices under CrPC Section 41 A. The SIT ordered the investigation officers to “complete pending arrests at the earliest”. According to Brijlal, many of the offences, which occurred in the Assembly constituencies of Narasaraopeta, Macherla, Gurajala, Chandragiri, Tirupati and Tadipatri, were of extremely serious nature. They involved multitudes of miscreants brazenly rioting in two groups and pelting stones indiscriminately which could have led to serious injury or even death.

Further, he observed that the SIT identified many lapses in investigation while probing these cases. The Inspector General said special teams were formed to identify and apprehend the accused persons at the district level and added that investigation officers have been directed to file a memo in the courts concerned to add appropriate sections of law.

Andhra Pradesh went to polls on May 13 for 25 Lok Sabha and 175 Assembly seats. It may be recalled that the SIT was formed following the instructions of the Election Commission of India. DGP Harish Kumar Gupta directed the district superintendents of police, DIG Anantapur and IG, Guntur to take necessary action to complete the investigations in coordination with SIT teams.