Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad   

Clues point to deliberate disruption of power supply

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD DEC. 9. Was disruption in power supply during the communal clashes in the old city accidental or intentional? With forensic experts reportedly stumbling upon evidence about deliberate damaging of transformers by miscreants, a serious discussion as to ``who orchestrated the violence and with what motive'' had begun. Responding to allegations levelled by locals that power went off at some places minutes before trouble broke out on Saturday, the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, ordered an inquiry into the mater by forensic experts. A team from the A.P. Forensic Science Lab, which examined the failed transformers at Mir Ka Daira, Shukoor mosque and Darjeeling School, reportedly found that fuses of two transformers were removed to cut off power supply.

At two places, three switches, each connected to 20 lights, were found separated from the transformers. Sufficient evidence of deliberate disruption of power was also noticed at two other transformers. The findings had raised an important question. Who would gain by fomenting communal trouble? With elections round the corner, an apparent possibility was that any political party, could have planned and instigated youth to create trouble. If the reported findings of intentional disruption in power supply raised several questions, allegations by family members of the victims, who sustained bullet injuries in police firing, that outsiders used firearms in the attack and the police targeted a particular community only made the incident more complicated.

Probe into `selective' firing

The higher-ups have begun an inquiry into the allegations of some policemen targeting a particular community during the police firing after communal clashes erupted in the old city on Saturday. A special police wing has been asked to inquire into the charges and submit a report immediately.

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