Chittoor killings: Chandrababu Naidu assures Tamil Nadu CM of speedy probe
20 woodcutters believed to be smugglers were killed by AP Police earlier this week
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has assured his Tamil Nadu counterpart O Panneerselvam that probe into the Chittoor incident, in which 20 people were shot dead in an alleged operation against Red Sanders smugglers, would be completed speedily.
In reply to Panneerselvam who had expressed concern over the April 7 incident, Naidu said in a letter that to ascertain the facts, apart from ordering autopsies of the bodies, the AP government had ordered a magisterial enquiry.
"I assure you that the enquiry will be completed without delay and further necessary action will be taken," he said.
In the operation conducted on the morning of April 7 by Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force of AP police in the Srivarimettu and Eesagunda areas in Seshachalam forest, 20 people were shot and killed on the spot. All of them hailed from neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
Panneerselvam shot off a letter to Naidu immediately after the incident, demanding a "credible and speedy enquiry".
"While it is possible that these persons may have been engaged in illegal activities, the occurrence of such high casualties in the operation raises concerns whether the Task Force personnel acted with adequate restraint," he had said.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister also said that if there was violation of human rights, action must be taken against the culprits and compensation should be paid to the victims' families.
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Meanwhile, AP Forests Minister B Gopalkrishna Reddy claimed that the Tamil Nadu government was blaming Andhra Pradesh keeping in view the Assembly elections in the neighbouring state next year.
"They want to get some political mileage out of the incident. They (those killed) are not just labourers, they are smugglers," Reddy told PTI.
Also, MDMK chief Vaiko was today prevented from undertaking his proposed protest in Andhra Pradesh against the killing when he along with 1,000 supporters was detained by Tamil Nadu police on way to Chittoor.