178 held for attacks on places of worship: DIG Pala Raju
DIG G Pala Raju addressing a press conference state police office in Mangalagiri on Tuesday
Vijayawada: Police arrested 178 persons in connection with the offences that took place at the temples and other places of worship across the state in recent weeks, said DIG Pala Raju.
Addressing media along with Uday Bhaskar, AIG (Admin) at the state police office at Mangalagiri on Tuesday, Pala Raju said the police had taken initiative for the installation of CC cameras in 5,400 temples after chariot burning incident at Antarvedi.
He said the state police are trying to maintain communal harmony in the state and check the crimes taking places at the temples and places of worship.
Referring to the crime data released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on the cases registered against the Andhra Pradesh police, the DIG said some wrong data was furnished related to cases in Chittoor and Visakhapatnam districts.
He said by mistake, it was registered that 1,681 cases were booked against AP police. He said 100 cases were registered against police in 2016, 164 cases in 2017, 97 cases in 2018 and 111 cases in 2019. He said wrong information was furnished to the NCRB that 380 cases were registered in Chittoor district, 257 in Visakhapatnam city and 972 cases in Visakhapatnam rural. He said the information related to wrong data published in the NCRB was sent to the media in the state. He further said the revised data was also sent to NCRB.
Referring to the letters written by the Leader of Opposition and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu to DGP D Gautam Sawang recently, Pala Raju said the opposition leader had written letters without confirming the facts.
He said the AP police are discharging their duties without bias and fulfilling duties fearlessly. He said the state police had developed work culture in the state during the last four decades and Chandrababu Naidu was also took part in it as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh three time and as senior politician.
He also explained the Zero FIR, Disha app launched by the AP police, initiative taken by the state police to give protection to the temples and the places of worship and other services.