Kakinada police to take legal action against 7 TD leaders on heroin issue
KAKINADA: The Kakinada police have initiated steps to probe the allegation of a heroin link to the port here and the recent boat-burning incident over which Telugu Desam leaders leveled many allegations against the YSRC and its government.
The police would book cases against seven Telugu Desam leaders in two cases, charging them with making false allegations and barging to Kakinada Port without permission. They will have to produce evidence to prove their charges, police said.
On Friday, the Kakinada One Town Police led by its CI Rammohan Reddy went to the residence of Dhulipala Narendra at Ponnur village in Guntur district and served the notices.
The Eluru Range DIG Mohan Rao told the media here that on September 16, a boat belonging to Palepu Jayaprakash caught fire at Salt Creek near Jagannaickpur. This happened due to wire short circuit while the boat driver was starting the engine, he said.
The boat’s kalasi Malladi Vijayabhaskar received burn injuries and driver Chintada Gangadhar immediately contacted the One Town police station. Fire and police department officials rushed to the spot and controlled the fire, the CI said.
At the time, the former MLA Kondababu of the TD was also present. However, TD leader Narendra has, on October 6, made an allegation that one person died in the burning boat and the police did not inquire into this. DIG Mohan Rao said Narendra made false allegations and hence he was served notices, asking him to produce evidence within a week. Otherwise, action would be taken against him as per law.
He said another TD leader K Pattabhi made an allegation that heroin was imported at Kakinada port and the boat carrying the heroin was burnt. Notices would be served on Pattabhi too, the DIG said.
In another case, he said, Kondababu sought permission from Kakinada Port officials for his entry into the port along with two leaders. But, a mob of TD leaders barged into the port on the pretext of visiting it to check about heroin smuggling.
Following this, the Kakinada SeaPorts (KSPL) general manager Jocob Satyaraj lodged a complaint with the port police. He said that cases were booked against former home minister Nimmakayala Chinarajappa, former MLA Nallamilli Ramakrishna, Telugu Desam Kakinada parliament constituency president Jyothula Naveen, TD leader Pattabhi and others.
East Godavari district SP Ravindranath said Kakinada is a peaceful city. If anybody wants to disturb the peace and create law and order problems, police action would follow.
He said that the allegations linked to the boat burning incident caused embarrassment to a community and their sentiments were hurt. Kakinada DSP Bhimarao and others were present. He said central agencies are investigating the heroin smuggling case at Mundra port in Gujarat and these agencies have already made clear this case had no connection to any smuggling in Andhra Pradesh.
