Secunderabad Railway firing case: Prime suspect, others held

Hyderabad: The Government Railway Police have reportedly arrested Sai Defence Academy director Avula Subbarao after his role was established with evidence in the violence unleashed by a crowd, purportedly Army job aspirants, at the Secunderabad Railway Station last week. Four others, including Subbarao’s associates Shiva and Hari, too were taken into custody. Subbarao, who was […]

Hyderabad: The Government Railway Police have reportedly arrested Sai Defence Academy director Avula Subbarao after his role was established with evidence in the violence unleashed by a crowd, purportedly Army job aspirants, at the Secunderabad Railway Station last week. Four others, including Subbarao’s associates Shiva and Hari, too were taken into custody.

Subbarao, who was earlier detained by the Andhra Pradesh police, was handed over to the Hyderabad Police, who grilled him for nearly three days along with the GRP with regard to the arson.

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Sources said the investigation officials have found that Subbarao was in active contact with managers of 12 of his coaching centre branches across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and owners of six other coaching centres in Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. They all had conspired and pre-planned the arson, police said, adding that Subbarao held several virtual meetings and phone calls meetings with other owners and organisers and kept motivating them.

They had instigated the job aspirants against the union government’s Agnipath recruitment scheme in person and through various WhatsApp groups and social media posts.

He instigated the aspirants that the scheme would spoil their future and convinced the coaching centre owners that the scheme would hit their businesses, police said, adding that it was also found out that they had made necessary arrangements for the rioters to reach the Secunderabad Railway Station and also provided them with refreshments.

The cops found that Subbarao came to Secunderabad with his followers on June 16 and stayed in a hotel near the railway station. The probe revealed that he met job seekers and instigated them to attack the railway station on June 17. He allegedly supplied masks to them as well so that their identity is not revealed. Subbarao escaped to Guntur soon after the violence started at the railway station.

He was taken to Gandhi Hospital for a medical examination and produced before a local court in Secunderabad. The police are yet to announce his arrest.

The police so far arrested 55 persons while efforts were on to nab eight others who were absconding. The GRP has also issued a notice to Sai Defence Academy in Medipally seeking explanation on the issue and asking to appear before the investigation team for questioning.