Rakesh was passionate about joining army, say friends of man killed during Agnipath protests in Secunderabad

Warangal/Mahabubabad: Damera Rakesh, who was killed in the police firing at the Secunderabad railway station during a protest against Agnipath scheme, always wanted to be a soldier to serve the country, according to his relatives and villagers. A native of remote Dabeerpet village of Khanapur mandal in the district, Rakesh was studying for Degree final […]

Warangal/Mahabubabad: Damera Rakesh, who was killed in the police firing at the Secunderabad railway station during a protest against Agnipath scheme, always wanted to be a soldier to serve the country, according to his relatives and villagers.

A native of remote Dabeerpet village of Khanapur mandal in the district, Rakesh was studying for Degree final year in a private degree college in Hanamkonda. “He wanted to join the armed forces taking inspiration from his elder sister Sangeetha who is now working with the Border Security Force (BSF) in the West Bengal State,” said his mother Poolamma.

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Son of Damera Kumara Swamy and Poolamma, 21-year-old Rakesh had even appeared for the army recruitment rallies twice and missed the job by a whisker. “He was determined to secure the job in the Indian defence force. He had recently cleared the physical tests and was waiting for the due selection process. But when he learnt that recruitment would only happen through the Agnipath scheme, he got depressed and decided to participate in the protests on Friday evening along with 14 others from Hanamkonda,” said one of his friends.

Rakesh, who belongs to the BC category, was training for Army jobs in Hanamkonda for the last few years. Parents of the victim are farmers, and his elder brother is a physically challenged person. The villagers have criticised the Central government for the introduction of the Agnipath scheme and causing protests which claimed the life of a youth from the village.

The relatives are demanding the Central government to pay compensation to parents of Rakesh who are poor. The parents have been taken to Secundeabad by the police following the incident. Meanwhile, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao has expressed shock and grief over the killing of Rakesh and demanded ex-gratia to the kin of the deceased. He also expressed condolences over the incident. Sources also said that Lakkam Vinay, a resident of Maddivancha village of Garla mandal of Mahabubabad district, sustained bullet injury in his chest. He was admitted to the Gandhi Hospital.