Vijayawada: SIT begins poll violence probe

Vijayawada : Following the stern directions given by the Election Commission of India on Thursday and suspending 12 police officials including Palnadu and Anantapur SPs and transfer of Palnadu and Tirupati District Collectors, the state is slowly limping back to normalcy. The transferred officials have been asked not to leave headquarters.

Meanwhile, as per the instructions of the ECI, a 13-member special investigating team (SIT) led by an IG level officer Vineet Brijlal (IPS) has been formed to probe the incidents of violence. The SIT is learnt to have started preliminary inquiry into the incidents that rocked the state since May 13 evening.

The SIT will examine all the FIRs filed so far in all the incidents and will add additional sections if need be. In addition to the existing forces, 25 companies of Central forces have also been deployed in all troubled areas and orders have been issued to see that leaders of all political parties were kept under house arrest. Police has been asked to set up pickets and ensure that no violence takes place.

However, the sudden disappearance of Macherla YSRCP MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy and his brother from their house from Thursday night has become a mystery. It is learnt that the gunman of the MLA informed the police about the incident. The big question is when the leaders have been put under house arrest with police pickets in front of their houses, how the MLA and his brother could manage to disappear?

The Opposition alleges that they had left the house with the connivance of the police as they feared arrest for their role in the violence. It is also learnt that there was a possibility of some more police officers being suspended. The ECI also directed that the inquiry against the 16 police officers cannot be stopped without their permission.

On the other hand, CEO Meena has also sent a report to the ECI on the present situation in the state. He is also reviewing the arrangements for counting. This assumes importance in the wake of intelligence reports that there could be violence on the counting day and thereafter. Meanwhile government advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy on Friday said that if any irregularities were noticed during counting on June 4, it would be countered effectively.

The Opposition alleges that this was an indication of the game plan of the YRSCP to create trouble on the day of counting and urged the ECI to take foolproof measures.