Was Secunderabad station violence pre-planned?
According to the police sources the Secunderabad violence over the Agnipath Scheme was pre-planned, with messaging platform WhatsApp having played a crucial connecting role.
On Friday in Telangana, protestors who were dissatisfied with the Agnipath – the Army recruitment scheme, vandalized the Secunderabad railway station and set a train on fire. The violent mob also damaged shops belonging to small business owners, which were located at the station. An audio call exposes the conspiracy angle.
The messages found on the mobile phone of a protester said, “When are you coming tomorrow to Secunderabad railway station? Come armed with petrol, tyres and old clothes. We will not find these at the railway station. So, if you bring these along, we can torch vehicles and trains, and disrupt railway services.”
During the probe, Telangana railway police unearthed a plot to trigger similar protests at Visakhapatnam. Police are trying to zero in on the conspirators by analyzing WhatsApp call details. “We have accessed multiple audio clips with appeals to carry petrol and set ablaze public property,” said a police officer.
Some of these protesters were allegedly assisted by their tutors who coached them for entrance exams.
Following the violent protest, reportedly one person died, while the another is critical, and several others were injured after Telangana police were forced to open fire to quell the frantic mob.
At least 5,000 Army aspirants from Telangana who were awaiting the announcement of dates for written exams are learned to have been in contact with each other on WhatsApp, using which they are suspected to have planned to storm the Secunderabad Railway Station and launch a protest.
Railway police have arrested 30 people in connection with the violence at Secunderabad railway station and were probing the alleged role of private defence academies training army job aspirants. Police suspect 12 of those arrested played a key role in arson and vandalism. Two accused who brought petrol and set afire train coaches have reportedly been identified.
The cases were booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (Rioting), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons), 307 (Attempt to murder), 435 (Mischief by fire or explosive substance), 427 (mischief causing damage), 448 (house trespass), 336 (Act endangering life or personal safety of others), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 341 r/w 149 A(wrongful restraint), and different sections of The Railways Act.
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If the govt fails to punish these culprits severely in the name of vote bank politics, the country will sure go to anarchy.