Anantapur: Ignoring police caution reportedly led to the murder of TD worker Chinta Bhaskar Reddy on the day of polling at Veerapuram village in Tadipathri mandal in the district.
The sub-inspector from Tadipathri went to the village and visited the Telugu Desam worker’s residence a day before the polls and cautioned him about possible violence. Police had actually planned to detain troublesome leaders on the day of polling.
“When we visited village many times, family members of Bhaskar Reddy bluffed us that he had gone to attend the funeral of his relatives and was not in the house. We were busy in security arrangements in all parts of the mandal and he lost his life due to rivalry,” an official observed and recalled that family members were now regretting their mistake to misguide police, as he could have been saved.
Except for the Tadipathri incident, elections went off peacefully with minor instances on the day of polling in the district, SP GVG Ashok Kumar observed.
Speaking of the situation, the SP said that additional forces have been posted at sensitive villages following post poll violence. A total of 68 cases were registered and 400 persons arrested in various incidents pertaining to poll related violence. Further, no polling station was recommended for re-polling even as political parties expressed satisfaction over fair polling. Repolling was ordered in other parts of the state.
Mr Ashok Kumar observed that security forces were lower than in the previous polls. “We had less security forces than in the 2014 general polls. Only 30 per cent of civil police were allotted from other states compared to the last polls, but we successfully controlled untoward incidents,” he observed and recalled the awareness campaigns with women and widows to urge people against faction related violence.
