As the Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed on the orders of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to look into post- poll violence in Andhra Pradesh, particularly in Palnadu, Tadipatri and Tirupati, a panic prevailed expecting they would arrest some YCP leaders and take action on some more police officers.
The 13-member SIT, headed by Intelligence IG Vineet Brizilal, is divided into four teams and started touring areas where violent incidents took place, from Saturday itself. They are expected to submit a preliminary report by Sunday evening.
As it was already established that local YCP leaders were directly ahead in these violent incidents, several leaders of the ruling party have already left the state, fearing their arrest by SIT. As the SIT members are keenly examining the role of lower and mid-level police officers, who are loyal to the ruling party, in spreading these violent incidents, such officers are fearing ECI may act against them also.
Already ECI has acted against 12 police officers, composed of DSPs, CIs and SIs and the SIT is likely to bring to light the role of some more officers. SIT officers are attempting to find out details of police officers who had remained as silent spectators during violent incidents during attacks on TDP leaders and activists.
They are also trying to identify policemen who passed the information to leaders of the ruling party on the movements of special forces and also TDP leaders, without following the orders of the superior officers.
The SIT teams are visiting police stations, examining Case Dairy files and FIRs keenly. They are asking local policemen who were arrested, under what sections they were arrested? What are complaints against each one? They are also collecting information about policemen present on duty during assassination attempt on TDP candidate Pulivarthi Nani in Tirupati and attacks on the houses of JC Prabhakar Reddy and others in Tadipatri.
Meanwhile, a team of TDP leaders met SIT high officials at DGP office on Saturday evening and provided crucial information witu.
h regard to attacks in Tirupati, Tadipatri, Anantapur and Palnadu. TDP Politburo member Varla Ramaiah, who led them, said they had given details with regard to 30 violent incidents.
Alleging that YCP MLAs Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy, Ketireddy Peddareddy and Chandragiri candidate Chevireddy Mohit Reddy were personally involved in these attacks, they expressed fears that many YCP leaders who had committed crimes have already fled the state.
