Post-poll violence in Andhra: EC asks Home Ministry to retain 25 companies of paramilitary in state for 15 days

New Delhi: Conveying its 'displeasure' over the post poll violence in Andhra Pradesh, the Election Commission on Thursday directed the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to retain 25 companies of paramilitary in the state for 15 days after counting while ordering transfer, suspension and initiation of departmental enquiry against erring officials.

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Gyanendra Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu took the decisions after holding a meeting with the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of Andhra Pradesh. The EC had summoned both the officers to Delhi to explain the situation in the state.

They told the Chief Secretary and the DGP to ensure that violence is not repeated and all Superintendents of Police (SPs) be tasked to take pre-emptive measures to avoid such a situation in future.

A statement said the EC directed the top state officials for strict supervision to ensure appropriate decision on timely filing of chargesheet against the culprits, preferably within the Model Code of Conduct period.

After the officials shared their assessment of negligence and lack of supervision on the part of officials in violence hit districts, the EC ordered the transfer of Palnadu District Collector and suspension of SPs of Palnadu and Ananthapuramu. The SP Of Tirupati should also be transferred. All the officials will face departmental enquiry.

Twelve subordinate police officials in Palnadu, Anathapuramu and Tirupati districts should be suspended and departmental enquiry should be initiated against them.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) should investigate the matter and submit an action taken report to the Commission in two days in each of the cases. FIRs should be updated with additional appropriate IPC sections and other relevant statutory provisions, the EC said,

Several incidents of violence -- assault, setting the office of the opposite party on fire, threatening, damaging of the campaign vehicles and stone pelting -- were reported in Ananthapuramu, Palnadu and Tirupati districts on the poll-day and post poll day.

Most of these incidents happened in the districts of Annamaya, Chittoor and Palnadu and few incidents in Guntur, Anantapur and Nandyal, the EC statement said.