RPF registers criminal cases against anti-Agnipath agitators

Hyderabad: The Railway Police Force (RPF) booked criminal cases against anti-Agnipath agitators, who damaged train engines, coaches and other railway properties at Secunderabad Railway station on Friday.
In a memo issued to the Additional Commissioner of Police (Crimes and SIT)) and DCP (Task force), Hyderabad City Police Commissioner CV Anand said the violence protests organized by youth who are aspirants to get job in armed force at Secunderabad Railway station against the Central Government’s’ Agnipath’ scheme for recruitment in the armed forces and pelted stones on to train engines, coaches and damaged other Railway properties of Secunderabad Railway station.
In this connection, criminal cases have been booked by RPF, Secunderabad and investigation into, the Memo stated.
In this regard, it is requested to monitor those cases closely in investigation and find out the objective, conspiracy and detailed planning which was done to create such violent incidents and damage the Railway properties, the Memo added.
The protest against the ‘Agnipath’ scheme for recruitment in the armed forces spread to the southern state of Telangana on Friday as police fired in the air to disperse protesters who went on a rampage at the Secunderabad railway station.
According to South Central Railway (SCR) officials, the agitators set on fire some coaches of three passenger trains and ransacked furniture and food stalls situated on the Secunderabad Railway station platforms.
One person died and three others were injured after the railway police opened 15 rounds of fire to control protestors at the Secunderabad Railway Station. Two police constables too were injured in the stone pelting.
In a statement here, SCR Chief Public Relations Officer Ch Rakesh said SCR General Manager (In-charge), Arun Kumar Jain immediately oversaw the restoration works for the immediate resumption of train services from the Station.
He directed the officials to be on high alert and depute additional manpower and facilitate stranded passengers.
The General Manager instructed the Security officials to deploy additional force and maintain constant vigil at railway stations.
The South-Central Railway immediately swung into action and steps were taken to provide facilities to the stranded passengers like several incoming Trains to Secunderabad were regulated / short terminated during the agitation time at nearby stations like Cherlapalli, Moula-Ali Railway stations in the vicinity of Secunderabad.
Additional Railway Protection Force (RPF) , Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel and local police were deployed at Secunderabad Railway Station and also at all important junctions over the jurisdiction, the statement added.(UNI)