Agnipath protests: 30 people arrested; Secunderabad train services resume

Railway police have arrested 30 people in connection with the violence at Secunderabad railway station and were probing the alleged role of private defence academies training army job aspirants.

Police suspect 12 of those arrested play a key role in arson and vandalism. Two accused who brought petrol and set afire train coaches have reportedly been identified. The directors of some private academies are suspected to have provoked the youth and mobilised them by creating WhatsApp groups.

They created WhatsApp groups like Hakimpet Army Soldiers, Secunderabad Railway Station Blocks, and 17/6 to circulate messages to the youth to reach the railway station for the protest.

The officials probing Friday's violence suspect that one Subba Rao from Andhra Pradesh who runs a defence academy to train the aspirants played a vital role. He is reported to have been picked up for questioning.

Similarly, the organiser of an academy in Karimnagar is also suspected to have mobilised the youth.

Train services at Secunderabad Railway Station, which witnessed arson and violence resulting in the death of a protester aspiring to join the armed forces, are limping back to normalcy, a senior official of the South Central Railway said on Saturday, reported PTI.

Additional Director General of Police (Railways) Sandeep Shandilya told PTI that the situation at Secunderabad station is peaceful and the police continue to deploy addition forces to thwart any untoward incident.

"Situation is normal at the station. We saw some problem at Mahbubnagar railway station. Overall, railway stations in Telangana are fine," the police officer said.

D Rakesh, a 24-year-old Army aspirant from Warangal district, died and several people were injured after security personnel opened fire on hundreds of agitators at the Secunderabad railway station here on Friday as the protests against the Centre's new Agnipath military recruitment scheme escalated into large-scale violence and arson.

Violence and protests marred the station blocking rail services causing inconvenience to passengers for several hours. Train operations originating from the station were cancelled or partially cancelled and they resumed subsequently later in the evening.

Secunderabad Railway Police booked cases against those indulged in violence. Hyderabad Police late Friday announced that they will probe the conspiracy angle in the violence.

Published on: Saturday, June 18, 2022, 11:17 AM IST