Vijayawada: 4 arrested in Gymkhana fire mishap case
Task Force ACP Ramana Murthy briefing the media on the arrest of the accused in fire mishap, in Vijayawada on Friday
Vijayawada (NTR University): The city police on Friday arrested four persons holding them responsible for the firecrackers mishap that occurred on October 23 at Gymkhana grounds here. In this mishap, two persons died and three shops were completely gutted.
According to Task Force ACP and investigation officer Ramana Murthy, a cloth merchant Gopalakrishna Murthy and his partner-cum-friend Govinda Raju acquired license for selling firecrackers and set up shop No 16 at Gymkhana grounds. Chiratapudi Kishore Kumar and Ramanjaneyulu supplied some firecrackers that were manufactured without license to them. The partners employed six persons –Nancharaiah, Radhakrishna, Sambaiah, Umamaheswara Rao, Brahmaiah and Kasaiah - to work in their shop.
When the unlicensed firecrackers exploded due to pressure, flames spread to other firecrackers also and three shops were gutted. Brahmaiah and Kasaiah, who were caught in the fire, died in the mishap. The police arrested partners Gopalakrishna Murthy and Govinda Raju and also two others - Kishore Kumar and Ramanjaneyulu for supplying unlicensed firecrackers to the partners.