Chittoor police arrest nine more for Punganur violence

 TIRUPATI: Chittoor police arrested nine more persons in connection with the Punganur violence that erupted during a visit by Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu. So far, 72 persons have been arrested.

Challa Babu, the TD constituency in-charge of Punganur and the prime accused in the violence, remains at large. The police deployed six teams to arrest him.

According to ASP Srilakshmi, Chandrababu was originally scheduled to take a bypass road in Punganur, but he deviated from this route and attempted to enter the town. This led to clashes between TD and YSRC activists. Local TD leaders allegedly mobilised their cadres and caused a wave of destruction.

“The accused men conspired to disrupt law and order in Punganur. They came with stones, sticks and empty beer bottles and caused confrontations with the police during Naidu's visit. Cops were attacked and two police vehicles were set ablaze during the mayhem,” the ASP said.

Challa Babu had formulated a plan to facilitate Naidu's entry into Punganur despite the police curbs. He allegedly asked TD workers to attack the police if they attempted to prevent Naidu's entry to the town. A meeting was held on August 2 to plan incitement of TD cadres on August 4, police officials said.

While the investigations into the Punganur violence intensified, the district police continued their efforts to arrest Challa Babu. Investigators have been gathering evidence, including CCTV footage from the check post situated on the AP-Karnataka border, and collecting details on the movements of TD cadres from Anantapur, Bengaluru and Rayachoti on August 4.