Four Policemen Suspended for Misconduct in Guntur District

Vijayawada: Four policemen were suspended in Guntur district for misconduct in separate incidents, following orders issued by district superintendent of police Vakul Jindal.

In the first case, sub-inspector S.K. Salaam and head constable B. Ramesh of Nagarapalem police station were suspended for allowing private individuals to interfere in official duties and for negligence, violating Rule 3 of the Andhra Pradesh Civil Services Conduct Rules, 1964.

In another incident, constable B. Suresh Kumar and home guard Harish of Pedakakani police station were suspended after an inquiry found that they had demanded and accepted Rs 3,000 from individuals caught drinking in public places — a clear misuse of authority.

SP Jindal stated that disciplinary breaches and abuse of power would not be tolerated, warning that strict departmental action would be taken against erring personnel to uphold the integrity of the police force. He urged all staff to maintain discipline, honesty, and commitment to public service.

Separately, acting on the SP’s instructions, a task force raided a brothel house in Nazarpet, Tenali, apprehending two men and two women and seizing cash and mobile phones. The accused were handed over to the Tenali One Town police station, and further investigation is underway.

Two young men killed in road accident

In a tragic late-night accident, two young men from Koritapadu in Guntur district lost their lives near Bapatla in the early hours of Thursday. The victims were identified as Sheikh Rizwan (21) and Chintala Nani (21), both close friends.

According to police reports, Rizwan and Nani had set out on a motorcycle towards Suryalanka Beach on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. As the beach was closed to visitors, the duo decided to return to Guntur. Around 2:34 a.m., their speeding motorcycle collided head-on with a lorry coming from Chirala towards Guntur at the Clock Tower junction in Bapatla.

The impact was so severe that both riders were thrown off the bike and sustained fatal injuries, dying on the spot. Preliminary investigations suggest that overspeeding caused the crash.

CCTV footage from a nearby camera captured the accident, which has since circulated widely on social media. Police reached the spot soon after receiving information, shifted the bodies to a hospital for post-mortem, and registered a case.

TD opposes Karnataka’s barrage plan on Tungabhadra

Telugu Desam leaders have urged the Karnataka government to withdraw its proposal to construct new bridges and barrages across the Tungabhadra River, warning that such projects would drastically reduce water availability at the K.C. Anicut and cause grave injustice to farmers in Kurnool district.

TD district president P. Thikkareddy and MP B. Nagaraju said on Thursday that the proposed Chikkamanoli and Chikalparvi bridge-barrage projects in Karnataka would obstruct the natural flow of water into Andhra Pradesh. They alleged that Karnataka’s claim of diverting only 0.351 TMC of water was misleading, and the actual figure could be as high as 3 TMC.

This diversion, they said, would deprive Kurnool of irrigation and drinking water, particularly affecting farmers dependent on Tungabhadra waters for cultivation. The leaders added that they would take up the issue with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and irrigation minister Nimmala Ramanaidu, seeking state intervention to protect Andhra Pradesh’s water rights.

They warned that the proposed barrages would also affect inflows to the Gundrevula project, vital for regional irrigation. The leaders further recalled that Karnataka had already harmed the Telugu states by constructing projects like Upper Bhadra and Almatti, which reduced downstream water inflows.

“If these new bridge-barrage projects go ahead, Kurnool and parts of Mahabubnagar could face severe drought conditions in the coming years,” they cautioned.

The TD leaders urged Karnataka to honour inter-state water-sharing agreements and cooperate with Andhra Pradesh in maintaining equitable water distribution from the Tungabhadra.

Newborn girl abandoned at Nandikotkur hospital

A newborn baby girl was found abandoned at the Government Hospital in Nandikotkur on Thursday. CCTV footage reportedly showed an unidentified woman carrying the infant and later leaving her in one of the hospital wards. Locals, who heard the baby crying, immediately informed ICDS officials, who in turn alerted the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU).

Nandyal District Child Protection Officer D. Swapna Priya Darshini said the DCPU team rushed to the hospital and rescued the infant. The baby, weighing around 1.4 kilograms, was found to be very weak and in need of immediate medical attention. She was shifted to the Nandyal Government General Hospital, where she is currently being treated in the intensive care unit.

The DCPO appealed to the public not to abandon newborns in unsafe places such as roads, drains, or garbage bins. She reminded citizens that the government has established “Uyyala Centres” at several locations to provide a safe option for those unable to care for their children. “If anyone feels they cannot raise a child, they can safely place the baby in such centres. Choosing compassion can save a life,” she said.

Officials have launched an inquiry to identify the woman who abandoned the child.