Date:13/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/13/stories/2008101355790400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

RAF on the way: Jana Reddy

Staff Reporter

Guilty will not be spared, says the Home Minister who visted Vatoli

G. Sanjeev Reddy

Troubled times: The watch of one of the victims is what remains in the debris in Vatoli where six persons of a family were allegedly burnt alive. –

BHAINSA (ADILABAD DT.): Home Minister Jana Reddy on Sunday ordered a CBI inquiry into the Vatoli incident in which six persons of a family, including three children, were burnt alive in the wee hours. Besides, a Judicial inquiry has been ordered into the conspiracy angle to the communal violence of October 10 at Bhainsa town and a CBCID inquiry into the loss of life and property in that day’s incidents.

At Bhainsa town, the Home Minister had a heated argument with Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen president and Lok Sabha member Asaduddin Owaisi over the communal incidents.

Owaisi’s demand

The MP had refused to budge from the guest house where the Minister was holding talks with community leaders and meeting with officials unless a CBI inquiry into the series of events was ordered.

Mr. Jana Reddy had announced deployment of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) earlier during his visit to the scene of the gory incident at Vatoli. He said the RAF was already on its way from Delhi to Bhainsa to control the worsening communal situation . Labour Minister G. Vinod, Adilabad MP A. Indrakaran Reddy, Mudhole MLA Narayan Rao Patel, Congress MLC Sultan Ahmed and Director General of Police S.S.P. Yadav had accompanied him. Besides, Communist Party of India’s State secretary K. Narayana also separately visited the village. Talking to media persons, the Home Minister had condemned the Vatoli incident and vowed to bring the guilty to book. Even officers guilty of neglect will not be spared, he pointed out.

Town tense

The communally sensitive town remained tense following the Vatoli incident .

The town resembled a garrison after a large number of policemen even from neighbouring districts were deployed while the curfew continued to be in force for the second day. Police patrolled the streets and alleys in town ensuring people did not venture out .