Growing gun culture in AP's Vizianagaram district puts cops on their toes

People became timid and tension prevailed across the district after the gunfire incident in the district headquarters on Saturday night. 
File Image for Representational Purposes.
File Image for Representational Purposes.

VIZIANAGARAM: People became timid and tension prevailed across the district after the gunfire incident in the district headquarters on Saturday night. Though it was the third instance in the last one year, it was first of its kind in the district headquarters. Gun culture seems to be on rise in the district. Licences were issued to 60 guns and other weapons in the district till now. The weapons used by the criminals were said to be bought from states like Odisha and West Bengal. Shockingly, unauthorized weapons were used in all the gunshot instances recorded. Records suggest that on April 16, 2017, the first gunshot instance occurred at Koticheruvu bank of Bobbili town in the district. Namala Kesava Rao and others opened fire on Aquana Jagadeswara Rao, a local businessman. Though he sustained severe injuries, he recovered.

On July 22, 2017 Murali Krishna, who was running a department store at Parvathipuram, was shot dead in his shop by unidentified miscreants. The culprits were suspected to be from Odisha. Similarly on March 24, 2018 at around 10.30 pm, Botcha Mohan, an accused in a murder case previously, fired six rounds on a realtor Nammi Appala Raju. All these three incidents revealed that neither gun nor bullets used in the crimes were authorised and were reportedly bought from  Odisha and West Bengal.

The district which remained peaceful so far woke up with the subsequent gunshot incidents. Taking it very serious, district police geared up to keep strict watch on crime-prone areas, particularly on property and financial disputes. Speaking to TNIE, district SP G Pala Raju said that he had alerted all the police officials in the district directing them to keep a tab on old criminals, property offences and financial disputes.  

The SP said that the accused in the March 24 incident would be produced before media in the next two days.  The SP also said, ‘‘We would probe real estate disputes, if any, within the limits of the district and also interrogate the people involved in the matters.”However, talks are being held with Odisha police to keep an eagle eye on the gangs involved in crimes and also reportedly on gun-runners. Despite the gunshot instances reported from the district, it was confined to property and financial disputes between the parties and no criminals so far targeted any general public, he added. Besides the gun culture, the transportation of unauthorised explosives also remained an issue and threw a challenge to the police to ensure the safe law and order situation to the district. 

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