Hyderabad: A magisterial inquiry has been ordered by the Chittoor District Collector into the “police encounter” in which 20 alleged red sanders smugglers were shot dead in Seshachalam hill ranges in Andhra Pradesh.
“The Additional District Magistrate, who is also the District Revenue Officer (DRO), has been asked to inquire into the entire events and submit a report to me. It will be subsequentally submitted to the government,” Chittoor District Collector Siddharth Jain said.
“The report will go into details and reasons for the police opening fire and whether the situation warranted it,” Jain said, adding the DRO has been asked to inquire into the matter and submit the report at the earliest.
Twenty alleged red sanders smugglers were killed in a heavy exchange of fire after they allegedly attacked the police early morning today in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district.
Six police personnel were injured in the attack by the smugglers.
Meanwhile, after protests and reported stonepelting on Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) buses APSRTC buses in Tamil Nadu, senior APSTRC officials said today that the matter came up for discussion.
“They are yet to take a call on cancelling APSRTC bus services to Tamil Nadu,” they said.
“We have not yet decided about cancelling any services as of now but may consider it tomorrow morning depending on the situation. The Hyderabad-Chennai bus has already left and once it reaches Nellore (in AP), we may take a call,” an APSRTC spokesperson said.
APSRTC operates around 35 buses to Chennai and other destinations in Tamil Nadu.
(PTI)
