Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham continued his indefinite huger strike for the second day on Friday in the Government Hospital at Rajamahendravaram demanding immediate release of the seven accused being booked in connection with the Tuni arson, while the police were taking all sorts of steps to minimise the impact of the bandh being observed by the Kapu Joint Action Committee opposing the arrest of its leader.
The police, who broke open the main door of the residence of Mr. Padmanabham on Thursday evening and rushed him along with his family members to the hospital, did not allow anyone including the media persons into the house on Friday. Heavy police deployment was made at the residence and the servants were taken into police custody. When a few media representatives tried to capture the visuals of the broken door, the police did not allow them and warned them of seizing the cameras.
A curfew-like situation prevailed in Kirlampudi throughout the day and complete bandh was observed in the town. The police made continuous attempts to ensure opening of shops, but the traders did not come forward to do so. In the rest of the district, security was given to all the shops and establishments and in places like Amalapuram and Ravulapalem the police forced the traders to keep the shops open. All the important leaders of the community were taken into custody and about 60 of them were placed in II-Town police station in Kakinada.
The Government Hospital in Rajamahendravaram tuned into a police camp, where the patients and their attendants were subjected to frisking by the police personnel. Hundreds of police guarded the hospital and iron fences were placed in the premises. Except the family members and close relatives, no one was allowed to visit Mr. Padmanabham, whose health was being monitored by a team of senior doctors.
Though no health bulletin was released by the hospital, the condition of Mr. Padmanabham is said to be stable. The family members were saying Mr. Padmanabham and his wife Padmavathi were continuing the fast by refusing to take any diet.
Accusing the State government of snubbing the agitation launched by Mr. Padmanabham in an undemocratic manner, Amalapuram former MP G.V. Harsha Kumar wondered why restrictions were imposed on the media.
“The entire East Godavari district is filled with the police force and the media is not allowed to do its job. I am wondering whether I am in a democratic country,” he said while extending solidarity to Mr. Padmanabham.
Meanwhile, the CID police produced six more accused before the Magistrate in Kakinada in connection with the Tuni arson cases. The accused Ganesula Rambabu, Ganesula Lachababu, Vasireddi Yesudasu, Akula Ramakrishna, Nalla Vishnu and Chakkapalli Satyanarayana were sent to remand.
With this, the number of arrests in violence that erupted during the Kapu Aikya Garjana public meeting in Tuni on January 31 rose to 13.
The police indicated the arrest of some more accused very soon.
The hospital has turned into a police camp, and patients and their attendants are being frisked
