Andhra court acquits all 41 accused in arson attack in Tuni town

Citing lack of evidence, the Vijayawada Railway Court on Monday, May 1 acquitted all 41 accused, including senior Kapu community leader Mudragada Padmanabham, YSR Congress party (YSRCP) MLA Dadishetty Raja, and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Akula Ramakrishna, in relation to the 2016 arson incident in Tuni town in East Godavari district, which resulted in the attack on a passenger train. Dismissing the case, the court ordered action against the three Railway Protection Force (RPF) investigating officers as it took more than five years to complete the investigation, and inquired about the reasons for the delay.

On January 31, 2016, Mudragada Padmanabham, a leader of the dominant caste Kapu community, held the Kapu Garjana Sabha in Tuni town demanding the inclusion of Kapus in the Backward Class category. Several community leaders and thousands of people participated in the meeting. Soon violence erupted as some of the people who had taken part in the meeting entered the Tuni railway station. They attacked the Ratnachal Express, a passenger train travelling from Visakhapatnam to Vijayawada, with stones and set a few coaches on fire. Some police personnel and passengers were injured during the attack.

The accused were booked under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, Indian Railways Act, 1989, and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984. After the YSRCP formed the government, it dropped 51 of the 69 cases filed by the previous TDP administration against protesters for acts of violence.

Following the verdict, advocate Narsimharao Narharishetty, who appeared on behalf of the accused, told the media that the RPF case was still pending because the state government did not have the authority to dismiss railway cases. "Some miscreants infiltrated the meeting and caused violence, and the previous TDP government filed cases against several leaders to create a false impression that the Kapu community was engaged in rioting. Truth, however, always prevails, and the court has declared acquittal,” he said.