Tension Grips Amalapuram After police arrest three youth

Kakinada: There is tension in Amalapuram after police arrested three youth – Mamidisetty Bala Subrahmanyam alias Balu, Chitturi Prasad and Dommeti Srinivas, following a complaint by Amalapuram Market Committee vice president Badugu Mary Kumari on Friday night.

On August 31, transport minister Pinepe Viswaroop’s son Srikanth had gone to Vithanalavari Canal Road near Kamanagaruvu village in Amalapuram mandal for taking up the Gadapa Gadapaku programme. Villagers, particularly women, prevented Srikanth from entering the village.

The women and some of youth asked why he had come to the village after his father and minister Viswaroop got some villagers arrested even though they had not participated in the Konaseema arson incidents. The villagers demanded that Srikanth and his father answer them, before he can enter the village. Unable to do so, Srikanth went back.

Apparently, Amalapuram police on Friday night took into custody three youth following the incident. Protesting over this, a large number of villagers led by YSRC leader Vasamsetty Subhash reached the police station and raised slogans demanding release of the youth. Subhash demanded that otherwise the police should register a case and produce the youth before the court.

As tension started building up till past midnight, police arrested the youth under section 341, 506 and 509, read with section 34 and section 3 (2) (VA) of SC ST Atrocities Prevention Act on Saturday.

In the interim, tension also started building up in Amalapuram town following the killing of rowdy sheeter P. Kishore on Friday afternoon, which led to retaliatory violence in which the shop belonging to Telugu Desam leader G. Pallam Raju was burnt.

Security has been stepped up in all areas of the town. Police teams are searching for the accused in killing of Kishore and also those who burnt Pallam Raju’s shop.