Defence academy director denies role in Secunderabad arson

Hyderabad: The Government Railway Police, who grilled Sai Defence Academy director Avula Subbarao for three days in their custody in connection with the Secunderabad Railway Station arson, reportedly could not extract any concrete information from him.

During his three-day custody, which concluded on Thursday, Rao was learnt to have claimed that he was falsely being framed in the case. He told the investigation team that he neither instigated the aspirants nor came to Secunderabad to supervise protests.

When officials questioned him on his role being established with evidence in the violence against the Agnipath Scheme unleashed by a mob, purportedly Indian Army job aspirants, at the Secunderabad Railway Station on June 17, Rao told them that he had just discussed a few times on holding peaceful protests, if need be. He is learnt to have told the railway police that he had not expected the aspirants to turn violent.

On questioning him about coming to the city from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, a day before the incident and staying put in a lodge in Secunderabad, Rao told the investigation team that he had come to look after a work related to his training academy.

Three other prime suspects – Mallareddy, Shiva Kumar and BC Reddy too were taken into custody and questioned.