AMALAPURAM: Police have arrested 46 persons for their alleged involvement in the violence that broke out in Amalapuram town of Konaseema district on Tuesday. Another 75 people involved in the riots have been identified through CCTV and video recordings.
At least 1,500 police personnel from Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Eluru and other districts have been posted in Amalapuram to monitor the situation. Seven cases were registered, including three under non-bailable offences for setting RTC buses on fire.
Besides some unidentified persons who pelted stones at Rajamahendravaram SP Aiswarya Rastogi’s vehicle at Ravulapalem on Wednesday, no incidents of protest or violence were reported in the district.
The miscreants, who carried out the attack, fled immediately but were held later. Police officers were posted at the entrance of Ravulapalem in the wake of ‘Chalo Ravulapalem’ call given by Konaseema Parirakshana Samithi which is spearheading agitation. Police set up pickets at Gopalapuram and intercepted vehicles heading towards Ravulapalem. DGP KV Rajendranath Reddy took stock of the situation throughout the day.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that police have identified a key suspect , who instigated the violence, and are interrogating him. The person had reportedly tried to self-immolate in front of the district collectorate a few days ago, protesting against renaming Konaseema.
Sources said, the intelligence department had alerted the police regarding people gathering to take out a rally towards the collectorate, but they did not anticipate it would turn violent as some of them have joined the rally armed with petrol cans. While some organisers of the rally were talking to the police, some others suddenly started attacking police and later resorted to arson, sources said.