Accused in Andhra girl's murder held after escape

Hyderabad,May 22: A few hours after he escaped from police custody, the prime accused in the 2007 rape and murder of a teenager in Vijayawada town was Saturday arrested in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh.Police said P.Satyam Babu, who gave police the slip while he was being transported back to Vijayawada from a hospital here, was arrested in Jaggaiahpet town of Krishna district. Babu escaped at Suryapet in Nalgonda district after midnight Friday when the policemen escorting him got down at a hotel for food. Police were taking the 22-year-old to Vijayawada after treatment at a hospital. A police officer in Jaggaiahpet took Babu into custody when he was begging for money from locals. Earlier, Vijayawada Police Commissioner P.S.R. Anjaneyulu suspended 11 policemen, including a sub-inspector, two head constables and eight constables, who were escorting the accused - on charges of negligence. However, there were hardly any takers for the police version. Relatives of the accused and rights activists alleged that the police were trying to eliminate him in a staged shootout to shield the real culprits in the case. They pointed out that Babu can't even walk as he suffered from a neurological disorder. The doctors at Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) confirmed that he could hardly walk. Police claimed that Babu raped and murdered 19-year-old pharmacy student Ayesha Miran at a hostel in Vijayawada on the night of Dec 27, 2007. Her body with stab injuries was found in the bathroom. A letter dropped by the 'murderer' stated that the girl was raped and murdered for refusing his request for 'love'. Babu was arrested in August 2008. Police earlier arrested two people but released them after the State Human Rights Commission intervened on petitions filed by their relatives. Ayesha's parents also rejected the police claim that Babu murdered her and alleged that police were trying to save some politically influential people. Earlier this month, Babu's mother P.Mariyamma tried to launch a hunger strike in Hyderabad, alleging the police was implicating him in a false case and torturing him. It was on her petition that the high court last month ordered the police to make arrangements for his treatment in Hyderabad.
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Rains lashes coastal AP as 'Laila' weakens further

Hyderabad,May 22: Rain occurred at many places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and at a few places over Telangana and Rayalaseema even as cyclonic storm 'Laila' further weakened into low pressure area today and lay centred over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and neighbourhood.Tiruvuru recorded extreme rainfall of 25 cm followed by Nuzvid 15 cm. The rainfall recorded in cm are Madhira 12, Palasa 11, Chintalapudi, Ichapuram, Salur, Venkatapuram and Yellandu 10 each, Bhadrachalam and Sompeta nine each, Eturnagaram, Mandasa and Tekkali seven each, Bobbili and Mahabubabad six each, Nandigama, Visakhapatnam, Gajapathinagaram and Parvathipuram and Palakonda five each, Kalingapatnam, Atchampet, Elamanchili, Kanekal and Pamidi and Ranasthalam four each, Guntur, Tuni, Anakapalle, Chintapalli, Narsipatnam,Paderu, Dummagudem,Kunavaram, Komarada, Srungavarapukota, Patapatnam, Sattenapalli and Yemmiganur three each.The maximum temperatures significantly fell at one or two places over Telangana, but significantly rose at one or two places over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema. They were significantly below normal over the state. The highest maximum temperature of 42 degrees Celsius was recorded at Adilabad.Moderate to rather heavy rain/thundershowers would occur at many places in the districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari and West Godavari of Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Light to moderate rain/thundershowers might occur at a few places over Telangana. Isolated rain/thundershowers might occur over Rayalaseema and in the remaining districts of Coastal Andhra Pradesh. A spell of rain or thundershowers might occur in parts of the city. Maximum and Minimum temperatures would be around 38 and 24 degrees Celsius respectively.
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14 Inspectors transferred with immediate effect

Hyderabad,May 22: Hyderabad Commissioner of Police A K Khan today ordered transfers and postings of 14 Inspectors of Police, Hyderabad City Police, with immediate effect on administrative grounds.According to a press release here, G Venkatesham (1996), who was awaiting posting, has been posted as Narayanaguda DI. K Shankar (1996), who was awaiting posting, has been posted as Saifabad DI while R Bhaskar (1996), who was awaiting posting, has been posted as Chilakalaguda DI. K Ram Mohan Reddy (1995), who has been waiting for posting, has been posted in Kanchanbagh Police Station whereas P Ashok (1991), who has been awaiting posting, has been posted in West Zone PCR. KSR Prasad (1991), who has been awaiting posting, has been sent to Traffic Cell while M Suman Kumar (1999), who has been awaiting posting, has been sent to DD.Ch Y Srinivasa Kumar (1991) has been posted to Task Force C/Z while K Srinivasa Rao (1991), T.Sudhakar (1991) and V Srinivasa Reddy (1992) has been sent to SIT. NV.Satyanarayana (1991), who has been awaiting posting, has been posted at Main PCR whereas Y Venkata Reddy (1996) and P Bhaskar Rao (1995), who have been awaiting posting, has been sent for Secretariat Security.
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DGP orders transfers of 28 DSPs

Hyderabad,May 22: In a major reshuffle, Director General of Police R R Girish Kumar today ordered transfers and postings of 28 Deputy Superintendents of Police (Civil) with immediate effect.According to a press release here, APPA Hyderabad DSP K Chakrapani was posted as Chikkadapally ACP vice J Satyanarayana, who was transferred and asked to report in Police Headquarters, Hyderabad.B Janardhan Reddy, who was the ACB DSP, was posted as Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Mancherial in the existing vacancy and his earlier posting orders cancelled. DTC Vizianagaram DSP J Bhaskar Rao has been posted as Sattenpally SDPO vice K M Rajendran, who has been transferred and asked to report in Police Headquarters, Hyderabad. Intelligence DSP B Shanti Kumar has been posted as Manuguru SDPO vice Ch Raj Kumar, who has been transferred and asked to report in Police Headquarters, Hyderabad. Guntakal DSRP A Srinivasa Reddy was posted as Kavali SDPO on retirement of K A Rawoof. Y Ravishankar Reddy, posted as PCS and S DSP, has been posted as Dhone SDPO on retirement of Syed Vali. CID DSP L V Srinivasa Rao was been posted as Parvathipuram SDPO in the existing vacancy. ACP Traffic Vijayawada V Suresh Babu who was posted as ACP, Traffic, Visakhapatnam vice S Saibaba has been transferred and asked to report in Police Headquarters, Hyderabad. Attada Venkata Ramana, who was as APPA, Hyderabad DSP, has been posted as ACP, Traffic, Vijayawada vice V Suresh Babu. PTC Anantapur DSP A Nagaraja Naidu has been posted as Rajahmundry SDPO vice Janaki Dharavath, who has been transferred and asked to report in Police Headquarters,Hyderabad. DD Hyderabad ACP B Muralidhar has been posted as Saifabad ACP vice C Narotham Reddy, who has been transferred and asked to report in Police Headquarters, Hyderabad. Kagaznagar SDPO A Damodhar Rao has been posted as Adilabad SDPO vice Gulam Samdani, who has been transferred and asked to report in Police Headquarters, Hyderabad.DD Hyderabad ACP M Ram Mohan Rao has been posted as Charminar ACP vice K Babu Rao, who has been transferred and posted as DD, Hyderabad ACP vice M Ram Mohan Rao. V and E DSP K Varaprasada Rao has been posted as Kandukuru SDPO vice P George, who has been transferred and asked to report in Police Headquarters, Hyderabad. CTC, Hyderabad, DSP P R Kosal Ram has been posted as Rajampet SDPO in the existing Vacancy. Intelligence DSP K Govardhan Reddy has been posted as Madhapur, Cyberabad, ACP (Newly created post). Bodhan SDPO B Srinivasa Reddy has been posted as Vanasthalipuram, Cyberabad, ACP (Newly created post). CTC, Cyberabad, DSP D Sivaramakrishna has been posted as Petbasheerabad, Cyberabad, ACP (Newly created post). OCTOPUS DSP T Sarath Babu has been posted as Kukatpally, Cyberabad, ACP (Newly created post).
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Admin estimating loss, 'Laila' weakens

Hyderabad, May 22 : The Andhra Pradesh Administration was estimating the loss of property and standing crops due to severe cyclone storm 'Laila' which battered the Coastal districts of Prakasam, Krishna, Guntur, Nellore, East and West Godavari.The state government has sent official teams to the affected districts as there was relief from heavy rains even as the depression over coastal Andhra Pradesh moved further north-northeastwards and weakened into a well marked low pressure area over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining Telangana.Chief Minister K Rosaiah, who undertook an aerial survey in the affected areas to ascertain the situation told newsmen at the Begumpet airprot that in view of the relief from the rains, the officials would estimate the loss. So far, the officials were busy in rescue and relief operations.Though people who were housed in relief camps desired to go to their homes, the government asked them to stay for one more day in the relief camps as a precautinary measure. The Government was providing food, water, medicines other essential commodities to the people in the camps, he added.He said since last three days, he was constantly in touch with the District Collectors concerned and reviewed the situation with Chief Secretary S V Prasad and other officials.
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Accused in Andhra girl's rape and murder escapes

Hyderabad, May 22 : In a dramatic escapade, the prime accused in the 2007 rape and murder of a teenager in Vijayawada gave police the slip while he was being transported back from a hospital here, police said Saturday.P. Satyam Babu escaped from police custody at Suryapet in Nalgonda district shortly after midnight Friday when the policemen escorting him got down at a hotel for food. Police were taking the 22-year-old to Vijayawada after treatment at a hospital here. Vijayawada Police Commissioner P.S.R. Anjaneyulu suspended 11 policemen escorting the accused for negligence. "I received the information at 6.30 a.m. that the accused has escaped. I immediately ordered suspension of the policemen for their negligence," he said. A sub-inspector, two head constables and eight constables were escorting Babu back to Vijayawada. However, there were hardly any takers for the police version. Relatives of the accused and human rights activists alleged that the police were trying to eliminate him in a staged shootout to shield the real culprits in the case. They pointed out that Babu can't even walk as he is suffering from a neurological disorder. Police claim that Babu raped and murdered 19-year-old pharmacy student Ayesha Miran at a hostel in Vijayawada on the night of Dec 27, 2007. Ayesha's murder had raised a huge public outcry and the police had failed to crack the case for several months. Her body with stab injuries was found in the bathroom. A letter dropped by the 'murderer' stated that the girl was raped and murdered for refusing his request for 'love'. Babu was arrested in August 2008. Police had earlier arrested two people but released them after the State Human Rights Commission intervened on petitions filed by their relatives. Interestingly, Ayesha's parents had also rejected the police claim that Babu murdered her and alleged that police were trying to save some politically influential people involved in the case. Earlier this month, Babu's mother P. Mariyamma had tried to launch a hunger strike in Hyderabad, alleging that police was implicating him in a false case and torturing him. It was on her petition that the high court had last month ordered the police to make arrangements for his treatment in Hyderabad.
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Relief work on in cyclone-hit coastal Andhra

Hyderabad, May 22 : Relief work was in full swing in the cyclone-hit areas of coastal Andhra Pradesh Saturday as water levels started receding and the rains became less intense.The threat for the coastal region was over Friday when Cyclone Laila weakened into a depression in the Bay of Bengal. However, the official machinery remained on alert as the weather office forecast rains in the region over the next 12 hours. Isolated rains were continuing in some parts of the coast. Officials of various departments Saturday launched relief operations, especially in the worst-hit Praksam district, where some parts of Ongole town and dozens of villages remained marooned. According to officials in disaster management department, 300 army personnel were shifting people from flooded areas and distributing food and water packets. NGOs like the Indian Red Cross and Unicef were also extending assistance in relief operations in Ongole. Over 70,000 people still remained in 300 relief camps. There have been complaints of lack of food, water and other basic amenities in some camps. As many as 111 stationary and 24 mobile medical teams were working in the affected areas to provide relief to victims and prevent epidemics. Heavy rains and gales over the past three days due to cyclonic storm Laila in Bay of Bengal left a trail of destruction in south coastal Andhra, killing 27 people and damaging infrastructure and crops over thousands of acres. According to preliminary reports, 172 houses were fully and 265 houses partly damaged. The cyclone has damaged agricultural crops over 11,351 hectares and horticulture crops over 7,949 hectares. The heavy rains and strong gales damaged roads and railway tracks and disrupted electricity and communication system. Over 100 trains have been cancelled during the last two days but railway authorities were confident of restoring the services by Saturday evening. Chief Minister K. Rosaiah will make an aerial survey of the cyclone-hit areas later in the day.
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