Ongole: Constable kills son in a fit of rage

Ongole: An Armed Reserve Constable, who was on duty as a guard at the EVM and VVPAT reserve godown at Bhagyanagar shot his son with the rifle. The police arrested the constable and started an investigation.

According to the police, as all EVMs and VVPATs used for the election were already shifted to the strong room at RISE College of Engineering after the polling, there were no EVMs, VVPATs, or Postal Ballot Boxes used for polling in the reserve godown at Bhagyanagar.

To safeguard the reserve machines, the police are deputing AR constables for the duty of guard at the reserve godown, and Kodamala Prasad Babu, ARPC 2929, aged 52 years was one among them.

Kodamala Prasad Babu received the salary on Saturday evening on June 1, 2024 and withdrew a sum of money from the ATM. He consumed alcohol after getting the money and went home. As he was given night duty at the godown, his son Kodamala Seshu Kamal (20) brought him to the premises of the reserve godown in time on his bike.

Before leaving, Kamal demanded money from his father for the expenses of the family before he could spend it on liquor and other things, but Prasad Babu refused to listen.

An argument builds up between the father and son, while the fellow guards try to calm down them both. At around 10:05 pm, under the influence of alcohol and in a fit of rage, Prasad Babu went berserk and shot at his son with the rifle allotted to him.

He cocked the rifle again and threatened to fire at others too, but his colleagues managed to take away the rifle from him and took him under control.

The injured Seshu Kamal was rushed to GGH-Ongole, but the doctors informed that he was brought dead. The Taluk Police registered a case under Sec 302 of IPC, and Sec 27 of the Indian Arms Act and started the investigation. The mandal executive magistrate conducted the inquest and sent the body for autopsy. Prasad Babu was arrested and sent to remand on the orders of the magistrate.