Guntur: Railway ticket counter up in flames

GUNTUR: Miscreants set afire the railway ticket selling room at Kolakaluru in Guntur district on Tuesday. The ticket selling agent and locals found smoke coming from the counter and soon, flames spread in the room. Immediately, they alerted the fire and police departments. The railway police, fire personnel, revenue officials and local police reached the place and controlled the flames but the records, stationery and other equipment got burnt. The police found two liquor bottles, burnt MRPS flags and another bottle with petrol at the place.

Ticket vending machine agent R. Srilakshmi said that she came to the railway station at 5.30 am on Tuesday and began selling tickets for Vijayawada-Gudur morning passenger train and came to know of the fire mishap after some time. She then informed the police about it. She said the cash registers of years 2015, 2016 and 2017 up to June got burnt and that others were intact.

Government Railway Police DSP L. Ajay Prasad said the window of the ticket selling room was partially damaged due to the fire mishap and some records were reduced to ashes in the station. The railway police are conducting an inquiry. Clues team and dog squad have been pressed into service for investigation. Railway Protection Police DSP A.K. Tyagi, CI Alla Hari, SCR Vijayawada division commercial manager Chandrasekhar, Tenali tahsildar G.V. Subba Reddy, Tenali Rural CI Ashok Kumar and other officials inspected the rstation and inquired about the incident. According to sources, MRPS activists have been protesting the arrest of their leader Manda Krishna Madiga in and the police are reportedly investigating about their involvement.