SIT takes up probe into poll violence in AP

Vijayawada: The Special Investigation Team, headed by senior IPS officer Vineet Brijlal and comprising 13 officers, has taken up the probe into the poll-related violence in Andhra Pradesh.

The SIT would identify the culprits, book cases against them and submit a report.

The SIT was appointed after the Election Commission summoned Chief Secretary K.S. Jawahar Reddy and DGP Harish Gupta on Thursday and held a hearing on the violence during the polls and thereafter in the state. The EC accepted a proposal from the AP government to set up an SIT to probe the cases and submit a report by Saturday.

Accordingly, the police started collecting additional information from various sources including the general public by urging them to come up with evidence of the violence and identify the culprits.

The police are gathering evidence from places like Palnadu, Narasaraopeta, Tadipatri, Chandragiri and Anantapur where the violence took place. Cops are also reviewing the CCTV footage, eyewitness accounts, media reports etc.

The probe by the SIT is sending shivers down the spines of some political leaders including candidates and their supporters as well as gangsters.

Some candidates involved in the violence and their supporters were already under house arrest. A large number of security personnel including central forces were posted in all trouble-prone areas and police pickets have been set up.

The SIT has been mandated to review the investigation of offences in which major violence incidents took place, supervise the investigation being conducted by the jurisdictional inquiry officers concerned, recommend to IO for additional appropriate sections of law in each case to be updated to recommend to get fresh FIRs registered and so on.