: Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham is likely to call off his nine- ay fast as 10 out of his 13 followers got conditional bail in the Tuni arson case after the Public Prosecutor did not oppose the bail petitions moved by them at the Additional District Judge Court at Pithapuram on Friday.
With the government keeping its word on not opposing the petition, the main demand of Mr. Padmanabham has been met. All of them were accused in the arson that included setting fire to Ratnachal Express train and two police stations on January 31, when Mr. Padmanabham began his sit-in on the railway track, demanding reservation for Kapus in government jobs and educational institutions.
However, bail petitions of three Kapu JAC leaders —Nalla Vishnu, Akula Ramakrishna and Vasireddy Yesudas — were dismissed by the Magistrate on the grounds that the remand report submitted by the police had technical flaws and they can be moved again on Saturday. After the bail papers were received by CBCID officials, the government emissaries including East Godavari Collector H. Arun Kumar, Visakhapatnam DIG Srikanth rushed to Rajamahendravaram Government Hospital to discuss and convince Mr. Padmanabham to end his fast. His son Balu and other family members along with JAC leaders who were released on bail and officials continued discussions till late in the evening.
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The police had produced 10 accused — Kurakula Pullaiah, Palla Srihari, Chekkapalli Satyanarayana, Lavudu Srinivas, Lakkimsetti Gopi Mahesh, Mudigonda Pavan Kumar, Nakka Sai, Ganesula Rambabu, Ganesula Lakshmana Rao and Dudala Muneendra —in the Pithapuram court and the accused filed a petition seeking bail. Magistrate B. Gayatri granted conditional bail to all the 10 accused and asked them to report to the police station once a week.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that the railway police of Visakhapatnam have filed another petition before the Pithapuram additional district court to hand over one of the accused —Lavudu Srinivas — to their custody.