Chennai: Expressing concern over the remand of 32 persons from Tamil Nadu allegedly due to forest related offices, and lodged at the Chittoor jail, Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa demanded the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to immediately intervene and ensure the release of the innocent men.
“I request you to urgently intervene in the matter and facilitate their immediate release,” Ms Jayalalithaa said in a letter addressed to her Andhra Pradesh counterpart, a copy of which was released to the media here on Saturday. She also deputed two government advocates to liaise with the AP officials in securing the immediate release of the “innocent persons” from Tamil Nadu.
Bringing to Mr Naidu’s attention a “matter of deep concern” regarding the arrest of 32 persons from Tiruvannamalai, Vellore and Chennai districts in Chittoor district, Ms. Jayalalithaa said that it was also learnt that these persons were remanded to custody on August 6. “It is reported that these persons were traveling from Chennai to Tirupati by Garudadri Express when they were arrested by the Andhra Pradesh police at Renigunta railway station.
All those remanded and lodged at the Chittoor prison were only passengers in a train and have been arrested on suspicion of alleged forest related offences, Ms. Jayalalithaa maintained and contended that it was not clear how they have been accused of forest related offences when they were nowhere near the forest.
Meanwhile, flaying the AP government for the “hasty act,” Union minister of state for road transport, highways and Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan said the Andhra Pradesh government should have informed the Tamil Nadu government before taking any action. “The Andhra government owes an explanation to the Tamil Nadu,” he said.
