Kapu community leader Mudragada shuts door on talks

KAKINADA: Kapunadu leader Mudragada Pamanabham locked himself, wife Padmavathi and some followers in his house at Kirlampudi in East Godavari district on the third day of his indefinite fast on Sunday.

Mr Padmanabham, who wants reservations for Kapus among other things, said there was no prospect of talks on the issue unless the government issues a written order accepting his demands.

Mr Padmanabhan did not allow joint collector S. Satyanarayana who had come to the house along with superintendent of police M. Raviprakash, and a team of doctors, to check on their health.

Mr Padmanabham said he and his wife were doing well, and did not need medical tests. He said they were ready to sacrifice their lives for the welfare of the Kapu community.

The joint collector said that conducting medical tests on a fasting person was mandatory. To this, Mr Padmanabham shouted at them and locked the house.

Earlier, the Kapunadu leader said he would neither give up his fast nor subject himself to any medical examinations. Mr Padmanabham said that if Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was adamant, he was more than a match for him.

He also demanded Mr Naidu reveal how he had amassed his alleged wealth of Rs 2 lakh-crore from being a marginal farmer with two acres.

“If Mr Naidu reveals that secret, no caste will ask him reservations and everybody will follow him and become as rich as him. Then there would be no need for reservations,” Mr Padmanabham said.

Tuni arson: Crowd clues help CID
AP Police probing the violence at Tuni during the Kapu garjana, has identified at least 80 rioters, including a few rowdy-sheeters who set fire to the Ratnachal Express and police stations.

CID sleuths, with the help of cops of various districts, identified several of the suspects. For the first time, the crowd sourcing of police investigation that included identification of the accused in photographs and video clips has been on a large scale.

An official of East Godavari district said, “There is huge response from the public to our request for video clips and or photographs taken by the public to be sent to WhatsApp number 9440904859 and email tunimeeting@gmail.com. People are also giving us the names of the attackers and rioters that they have identified. This has been of immense help in the investigation.”

The state government had on Saturday issued orders handing over the cases to the CID. The case pertaining to Government Railway Police regarding the burning of the Ratnachal Express too has been handed over to the CID.