Rakesh’s final procession turns violent; cops cane-charge mourners

WARANGAL: Mourners turned violent in Hanamkonda on Saturday during the final procession of Damera Rakesh (21) who was shot dead in the railway police firing during the protest against the Agnipath recruitment scheme at the Secunderabad railway station on Friday.

The body was taken in a procession from the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Hospital to Narsampet with over 3,000 people including leaders of various political parties, members of several people’s organisations, youth and others. During the procession, participants vandalised government properties and burnt effigies, forcing the police to resort to lathi-charge and arrest many protesters.

Sensing trouble, the police had deployed around 500 personnel at bus stands, railway stations, cinema theatres and various other public places in the tri-cities of Warangal, Hanamkonda and Kazipet.

When the procession reached the BSNL office at Pochamma Maidan Circle, protesters started raising slogans against the Centre. All of a sudden, the protesters attacked the BSNL office in a fit of rage. They pulled out flexies, broke chairs in the front yard and started pelting stones at the office and broke glasses, then set fire to the name boards and furniture outside the office.

The police prevented the protesters from entering the office. Later, the police brought the situation under control. They even burnt tyres of vehicles parked in front of the Warangal railway station, raising slogans against the Central government. The police prevented the protesters from entering the railway station.