The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Planned attack, says SP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 14, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Planned attack, says SP

Staff Reporter

"How can one expect us to keep quiet when one of our colleagues is being trampled in front of our eyes."

ANANTAPUR: Telugu Desam workers' grudge over the alleged police role in the Paritala Ravindra murder was said to have lead to the attack at Penukonda on Friday.

Drunken partymen, who began gathering at the RDO's office since 9.30 a.m., were heard using filthy language against policemen. The crowd went out of control with a minor incident at the entrance of RDO's office when they tried to gatecrash. The resistance provided by the police provoked the crowd resulting in the unprecedented violence.

According to an eyewitness, staff of the RDO's office, a section of mediapersons and the police ran inside the office and bolted it in fear immediately after violence broke out. Stones rained continuously causing injuries to a couple of staff. A bomb alleged to have been hurled on the office by TDP men exploded outside. Two other bombs thrown by the mob fell short of a fire extinguisher and an RTC bus on the NH-7.

Cameramen of two Telugu news channels and reporter of a Telugu news daily were injured in the attack. "They (TDP men) attacked me at the TDP office in Anantapur after the Ravindra murder and we kept quiet. They attacked policemen at Venkatapuram during Ravindra's funeral. Then also we kept quiet. But, how can one expect us to keep quiet when one of our colleagues is being trampled in front of our eyes," the Superintendent of Police, R.S. Praveen Kumar, said while reacting to the violence. "If the attack is not planned how could the crowd get stones, bottles and bombs to attack the police," the SP sought to know. Meanwhile, the Collector, Y.V. Anuradha, in consultation with the Election Commission of India, has directed the RDO of Penukonda, S.V. Nageswara Rao, who is also Returning Officer for the byelection, not to allow more than 15 persons for nomination filing by any candidate henceforth.

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