3 CCTV cameras to track mob at court on Monday

Police have installed three closed-circuit television cameras at three places in front of the Nampally criminal courts complex here to keep an eye on the crowd that might gather on Monday when YSR Congress Party chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy will appear in the special CBI court in connection with his illegal assets case.The CCTV cameras are connected to a control room where police will watch the footage recorded by the cameras and sent to the control room. Two cameras were positioned one each in front of the two main gates and the third at a middle point opposite the court building.“A few senior police officials, sitting in the control room, will monitor the situation at the court by watching the video footage on the TV screens. If any untoward incident takes place, the police can identify the culprits with the help of the video footage and nab them,’’ a senior police officer said.Hyderabad city police commissioner Anurag Sharma on Saturday issued orders prohibiting holding of any public meeting,  assembly of five or more persons, carrying of firearms, banners, placards, lathis, spears, swords, sticks, brickbats etc.,  shouting of slogan, making of speeches etc., processions and demonstrations; and picketing or dharnas in any public place within the area without a written permission. This order shall come into force with effect from 6 am on May 27 and shall remain in force for a period of two months till 6 am on July 26 (both the days inclusive) unless withdrawn earlier.The areas covered are from Taj Island Crossroads via Ek Minar Mosque to Bazar Ghat Crossroads; Bazar Ghat Crossroads to Ayodhya Hotel Crossroad  via Niloufer Hospital; From Nampally station goods shed to court; Lakdikapul Junction to Criminal Court building via Red Hills and FAPCI building. Religious functions/rallies, public meets etc. in the specified areas can be held with prior permission from DCPs.

 

by Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Day of security paranoia starts with a kiss

Since his school days, it has been a must for him to take the blessings of his mother before stepping out of his home.  So was the case even today. After his mother, Pulivendula MLA Vijayamma kissed and blessed him while other family members and close friends watched, Kadapa MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy stepped out of his house, waving to his supporters, who gathered there in large numbers to wish their leader luck while the heavy security cover in and around the Lotus Pond tried to do some crowd control which was indeed. Prior to hitting the road to Dilkusha guest house, Jagan took some suggestions from his confidante V Vijay Sai Reddy, who himself faced several rounds of questioning before being arrested earlier by the CBI. Both were closetted for 45 minutes. Around 10.30 am, as Jagan's vehicle came out from his house, tension gripped as his supporters, who were awaiting outside, rounded up his vehicle shouting Jai Jagan.. Jai Jai Jagan. Amidst his supporters, Jagan's convoy passed through to Road No: 12, Banjara Hills towards Raj Bhavan Road where Dilkusha Guest house is located. As the convoy reached to MLA Querters, police led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Akun Sabharwal detained some of vehicles that part of Jagan's convoy. Akun Sabharwal also directed the police to stop media vehicles not to follow Jagan's convoy. Jagan's convoy escorted by Task Force police passed through Road No: 12 via Pension office, Taj Kirshna, IIPM  and reached Khairtabad junction. Police forces including rapid action forces stopped all vehicles of Jagan at the junction while allowing only two vehicles in which Jagan and Sabbam Hari were travelling.

SECURITY LIKE NEVER BEFORE: With blocking one of the city's key road and section 144 in place followed by heavy police bandobust, Hyderabadis were left cursing wondering why the Hyderabad city police had turned paranoid for mere questioning of an MP. ''It appears as if a US President was to visit the Raj Bhavan road. It was sheer stupidity. I have never come across such a situation wherein for mere questioning, section 144 was imposed and such a massive bandobust was made,'' Amarnath Chowdary, a businessman, told Express. Terming it as a precautionary measure, police closed the stretch of Khairatabad junction - Raj Bhavan between 8.30 am and 7 pm. The Police, however, set up three layer security arrangements on the stretch  to prevent untoward incidents with Jagan appearing before the CBI's office-- Dilkusha Guest House that is located near Raj Bhavan. The entire Raj Bhavan road stretch appeared like a curfew-bound zone with only policemen being seen all over. Leave along the aam-admi, even police officers who just happened to pass by faced the heat. V B Kamalasan Reddy, Superintendent of Police (SP), Intelligence and Assistant  Deputy Commissioner of Police R Ravinder Reddy when police stopped their vehicles at the Raj Bhavan road. While DCP Srikanth, who posted at the Raj Bhavan, directing police to allow Ravinder Reddy towards to Dilkusha Guest House, Kamalasan Reddy opened his car door and introduced the police he is a SP of Intelligence and he was allowed. Police also stopped a vehicle in which a High Court Judge and his wife were travelling at the Raj Bhavan road. When the driver of the vehicle stated that it was a High Court Judge vehicle, police allowed it towards to Sagar Apartments. DCP Srikanth and K Ramachandran, Additional DCP did not allowed mediamen to Dilkusha Guest house even they showed their ID cards. After grilling more than seven hours between 11 am and 6 pm, Jagan came out from the Dilkusha and passed through his vehicle to his Palatial house, Lotus pond.

BUSES BURNT: Meanwhile, barring a few stray incidents of suicide threats, setting ablaze to four RTC buses, the city was peaceful today. A few persons, said to be supporters of Jagan, were took into custody by Punjagutta police when they shouted slogan Jai Jagan... Jai Jai Jagan at Somajiguda. A few unidentified persons also set fire to four RTC buses in LB Nagar, NGO's colony, Dilkushnagar and Meerpet police station limits in support of Jagan. Police said the buses were damaged partially when a few unidentified persons set ablaze the vehicles. It is also reported a few unidentified persons attacked on Heritage Food store located in Punjagutta police station limits. In the attack, the store was damaged partially. In another incident, as many as four women climbed a building, which is under construction, and threatened to attempt suicide by jumping from the building in support of Jagan in Chaitanyapuri police station limits. Police said that four women, said to be women wing workers of YSR Congress party, climbed the building and threatened to jump from the building. A few minutes later, they were came down. Police booked cases against them under section 309 (attempt to commit suicide) IPC.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Are Volvo buses deathtraps?

Fire Service staff putting off flames that broke out from the Volvo Bus in a fire mishap in running bus at Khaitlapur village in Chottupal on National Highway No 9-- Suresh Kumar

A private travel volvo bus gutted in a fire mishap after ramming into a tipper on national highway no 9-- Suresh Kumar

TV Film Kept Them Awake, Saved Them:

It was a nightmare for the passengers travelling on the private Volvo bus that gutted completely in a fire after hitting a tipper near Choutuppal a little after midnight on Sunday. Most of the passengers were awake watching a Telugu film on the TV and it helped them escape in time. ``After distributing water bottles to all the passengers, I returned to the cabin and had a brief conversation with the driver, Veera Srinivas. As the movie was coming to an end, I went back to the passengers to know if they wanted anything. Suddenly, there was a loud sound and the passengers first thought it was tyre burst. Later, we found that the bus had hit a tipper from behind,'' recalled Chinni, the bus cleaner. Chinni broke the windowpanes and saved as many as ten lives. ``Soon after the accident took place, a major fire broke out from the front portion. As we were unable to exit from the front cabin, we broke open the windowpanes with luggage bags and jumped out,'' he said. Chinni, along with 15 passengers who received minor injuries, was admitted to the Government Hospital at Chouttupal in Nalgonda district. After they had jumped out, he said, they started searching for the driver. ``Initially I thought the driver too jumped out through the window but he was, along with a passenger, charred to death,'' Chinni said. Most of the Volvo buses, which have airconditioning facility, catch fire due to short-circuit. Besides,  the buses have the engine at the rear and a delicate chassis. There were several possibilities for eruption of fire like disturbances at the exhaust man-pole located near the silencer, leakages from the fuel tank or short-circuit in the engine.  ``When a Volvo bus meets with an accident, the damage to the vehicle can be immense and the risk to the life of passengers high. In the latest accident involving a Volvo bus of a private travel company, we suspect that the fire broke out due to short-circuit soon after the bus rammed the tipper,'' said Chandrasekhar, chief mechanical engineer (operations) of the AP State Road Transport Corporation. He recalled an accident involving an RTC bus a year ago in a district close to the city. An investigation conducted by senior officials revealed that the driver had lost his control over the steering and hit a water pipe that was constructed at the point of a curve. The bus hit the pipe and caught fire due to the damage caused to the fuel tank. As soon as the accident took place, sparks erupted and fire broke out. Luckily, there were no casualties then, he said and suspected that improper maintenance of the bus might have caused the fire. The driver should inspect the bus before he taking it out. ``We have to check all key points of the bus. We can find out the exact reason for the mishap only when we visit the spot and examine the scene of accident,'' he added. The private Volvo bus that caught fire after ramming a tipper from behind near Choutuppal on Sunday midnight was going at a top speed of 180 km per hour when it met with the accident on NH-9, police said.``The accident took place when the driver tried to chase another vehicle at a high speed to overtake it. Unfortunately hit a tipper ahead of it. The bus driver lost his control over the steering while he was overtaking another vehicle. He failed to notice a tipper which was going slowly ahead and rammed it,'' said Bhongir deputy superintendent of police M Yadaiah. Two persons _ driver Veera Srinivas, a resident of Pulletikurru village in Ambajipet mandal in East Godavari district, and passenger Oruganti Sarada, a resident of Vatluru at Eluru _ were charred to death. As many as 15 passengers received minor injuries and were admitted to the government hospital at Chottuppal, Osmania General Hospital and a private hospital in Hyderabad. The bus, belonging to Anjani Travels, was going from Hyderabad to Amalapuram. Some mishaps in Recent Past --  * March 13, 2012: Fire broke out from the engine of a running Aero Express bus at Kishanguda, near Shamshabad. * April 27, 2011: An Aero Express bus plying between Shamshabad and Begumpet caught fire near Satamrai. In this incident too, fire erupted from the engine and * April 19, 2011: An RTC Metro Express carrying 40 passengers caught fire at Lakdikapul.

By Mouli Mareedu
moulimareedu@gmail.com

4-hour flurry of activity in curfew-bound areas

A policeman helping a vendor at Madannapet Mandi Market during curfew relaxation in Hyderabad-- Photo by A Suresh Kumar

It was around 12.30 pm, Wednesday and 55-year-old Yadamma was hurriedly buying her things - vegetables, rice and provisions - at the Madannapet market. It was not just Yadamma, but the market was jampacked with hundreds of people like her who rushed through their purchases on the sunny afternoon. The time they had to buy all essentials, enough to last at least a few days, as well as complete all the other work was just four hours.The curfew-clamped Madannapet and Saidabad areas came alive and saw a flurry of activity between 11 am and 3 pm when the prohibitory orders were relaxed. In Yadamma’s case, her husband Sriramulu has been suffering from high fever and she had to take him to a doctor. She had kept him waiting in an autorickshaw outside the market and had just 15 minutes to do all her purchases. In fact, she thought it was a bandh call for Telangana. “Please stop continuous bandh calls, sir. It badly affects our lives. My husband has been running high temperature for the past two days but I was unable to take him out for treatment. Even medical shops were closed in our locality. I could move out only today,” she said talking to Express.The official curfew relaxation time was 11 am, but people started pouring on to the roads from 9.30 am itself.  Business establishments opened their shutters from 10 am. However, not all people were keen on purchases as a good number of residents preferred to shift to their relatives and friends’ homes in other parts of the city. “Ever since the curfew was clamped in our locality, I had to simply sit at home doing nothing. I am temporarily moving to my cousin’s house at Abids. I can attend my office,” said KV Prasad, a private employee and a resident of Vikasnagar of Madannapet.

2.15 pm: Scene Changes: As the curfew relaxation period neared its end, there was a total change of scenario. A fleet of police vehicles started patrolling the roads with microphone-wielding police officials announcing loudly that the shops and establishments should down their shutters as curfew would start again. The announcement triggered a heightened activity once again, which slowly died down leading once again to an eery silence and deserted roads.The Task Force police and the APSP personnel led by deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Manish Kumar Sinha closely monitored the situation during the closing hours of the curfew relaxation period. Around 2.45 pm, they closed the main road that leads to the Chanchalguda prison and Saidabad.Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Central Crime Station (CCS) with the assistance of Moghalpura police detained four persons who were involved in stone throwing, damaging RTC buses and business establishments during the communal violence. The suspects are being interrogated. They are: Dhanraj, a resident of Kurmaguda who was allegedly involved in stone throwing resulting in injuries to one Mohammed Ibrahim Khan at Kurmaguda area; Mohammed Bin Ahmed, a football coach and Syed Nabi, both resident of Sulthanshahi, Moghalpura, who allegedly trespassed into the house of M Jagadamba and attacked her with a stone; and Mohammed Taher alias Lambu, a resident of Kurmaguda, who was involved in stone throwing incidents at Kurmaguada.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Srilakshmi reads books as prisoners enjoy fun

While all women inmates were enjoying and their kids tapping the floor with their feet amidst ear-splitting music during International Women’s Day celebrations at the Chanchalguda Women’s Prison, suspended IAS officer Y Srilakshmi, who is lodged in the prison, remained aloof in her room and kept away from the celebrations. The women’s prison, in association with some voluntary and social  organisations, conducted games and cultural events on the jail premises on Thursday on the occasion of Women’s Day. Prizes were distributed to the winners. Though the jail authorities invited Srilakshmi to participate in the celebrations, she stayed away and confined herself to her room reading books and conversing with fellow inmates. “We had invited all the 260 inmates of the women’s prison two days before the celebrations but most of the remand inmates, including Srilakshmi, did not attend,’’ said Basheera Begum, superintendent of the Chanchalguda Women’s Prison. However, Srilakshmi, who is facing charges in the Obulapuram mining lease case, had special lunch along with other inmates. To mark the Women’s Day, jail authorities prepared for prisoners a special lunch consisting of rice, curry, vegetable pulav and Ravva Kesari (sweet). “Inmates themselves made the preparations and they had a gala time today,’’ Basheera Begum said. Srilakshmi has been diagnosed with prinzmental angina, a cardiac aliment that makes her suffer pain in the left side of the chest. As such, she prefers to spend her time alone and reading books.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Cops getting caught on wrong side of law

 Three days after a sub-inspector of Chaitanyapuri police station was trapped by Anti-Corruption Bureau sleuths while taking bribe, police officials have submitted a comprehensive report to ACB officials for taking action against tainted cops. The probationary SI Srinivasa Rao of 2009 batch was trapped in the police station on February 29 while taking a bribe of Rs10,000 from a person to not arrest the complainant's family members in a trespassing case. D Nagendra Kumar, deputy commissioner of police, LB Nagar told Express that they have suspended the Srinivasa Rao for rampant corruption and high-handedness. Police officials also submitted a comprehensive report to ACB officials to initiate stern action against the policeman. The SI was also suspended from duties 48 hours after his arrest. Similarly, three persons including two constables from the city were arrested in connection with the rape of a minor girl a couple of days ago. While one constable has been accused of raping the girl, the other has been caught for abetting the crime, police said. The incident came to light after the victim was found in a state of shock near Secunderabad railway station. The constables involved in the crime are S Siddulu and G Prabhakar Reddy, who are attached to Tukaramgate police station.
The victim, a 14-year girl stays in a hostel at Bhoiguda.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

30 PG hostellers fall sick after feast

Plans to celebrate Mahasivaratri at the Saifabad PG hostel turned out bad as 30 students ended up in hospital. 12 students are still undergoing treatment while the rest of them were discharged. After having dinner on Saturday night, a few students had fallen sick and complained of stomach pain. Later, they purchased some tablets from a local chemist and consumed it. On Monday morning, the health of 30 students deteriorated as they started vomiting and had loose motion,'' said Mallikarjun, a student staying at the hostel. "After finishing lunch today, about 30 students fell sick. We alerted the hostel warden but he did not come to to the hostel. So, we ourselves shifted them to the Fever Hospital in Nallakunta," he added. Mallikarjun said all hostellers had convened a meeting a few days ago and decided to celebrate Mahasivaratri on the premises. The mess staff had served rice, dal, sambar, potato curry and curd and a sweet for lunch. The students undergoing treatment at the hospital are- B Sekhar, Naresh (both PG students) and degree final year students Gadhi Srinivas Reddy, Sivakurma, Santaiah, Lokeswar, Ramesh, Srinivas, Hanumanth, Rajasekhar, Somasekhar and Madhukar. Doctors at the Fever Hospital said that their condition is stable. Meanwhile, Osmania University vice-chancellor Prof S Satyanarayana constituted a committee comprising three members including the chief warden to look into the issue and directed them to submit a report within a week. Satyanarayana visited the hospital on Monday and inquired about the health of the sick students. During his interaction, some students vented anger on hostel warden Dr Nathanil, who is also a professor at the Saifabad PG College. They complained that Nathanil had failed to provide hygienic food to students. Prof Parthasarathi, college principal said they provided hygienic and tasty food every day and it was the first time students fell sick. A team comprising senior food inspectors of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation also visited the hostel on Monday and collected drinking water and food samples served to students on Monday. 

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com