Agnipath protests: Coaching centres, WhatsApp groups under scanner in Bihar, UP, Telangana

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Published : Jun 18, 2022, 5:47 PM IST

Updated : Jun 18, 2022, 11:31 PM IST

Police have found a pattern in the protests in Bihar and Telangana where trains were set on fire by protesters following calls from protests by military & competitive exam aspirants through Whatsapp groups. The role of these coaching centres are under the scanner.

Police have found a pattern in the protests in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Madhya Pradesh where youth 'planned' arson and violent protests against the Centre's short-term armed forces recruitment scheme 'Agnipath'.

Patna/Lucknow/Hyderabad/Bhopal: Amid the ongoing protests against the Agnipath Scheme across the country, an official in Patna on Saturday said that the role of coaching centres was found during the questioning of those arrested for violence and arson in the city. Similar findings have been made in Uttar Pradesh and Hyderabad.

The protests against the scheme turned violent in parts of the country including Bihar. At least three trains were set ablaze on Thursday. District Magistrate of Patna, Chandrashekhar Singh said that WhatsApp messages provocative in nature were found in the phones of the arrested people.

"We are on complete alert. The people are being identified through video footage. We have found out about the role of 7-8 coaching centres through WhatsApp messages from those arrested. These messages were of provocative nature," he said. "An FIR has been registered against them for instigating people by two coaching institutes here. So far, 170 miscreants have been booked and 86 persons have been arrested in Patna," Singh added.

Also read: Agnipath scheme: Protests during funeral procession of man killed in Hyderabad

Police sources termed the protest as a well-planned conspiracy. Most of the participants have already involved in the RRB protest which rocked the northern state. Scientific investigation of the tower dump data analysis was used to arrive at this conclusion, the highly placed source said. With this analysis, the police suspect at least 700 persons who protested against 'Agnipath' had also protested during the RRB imbroglio.

In Uttar Pradesh, police are also uncovering the role of coaching centres in instigating youth to protest against the scheme. Police have filed four FIRs in the violence and arson that took place in Tappal area of Aligarh district on Friday. The widespread violence left a police outpost and a number of roadways buses torched.

"35 people have been sent to jail this morning. So far around 80 people detained. Social media groups were also checked. Directors of nine coaching institutes were also sent to jail for instigating aspirants," Aligarh SSP Kalanidhi Naithani told news agency ANI. The Aligarh police on Saturday morning had also released posters of those allegedly involved in the Friday violence.

Also read: Secunderabad violence: 30 arrested, Rs 7 crores worth rail properties damaged

In Hyderabad, police have arrested Avula Subba Rao who runs Sai Defence Academy in the city and other locations including Andhra Pradesh on charges of inciting the violence. Police said they have identified 12 people who orchestrated violence by sending provocative texts and audio messages through message sharing platform - WhatsApp. Members of two WhatsApp groups - Hakimpet Army Soldiers and Secunderabad Railway Station Blocks were suspected to be active participants in the depredations.

One more group floated on Thursday - named '17/6' - is also under the police scanner for their involvement. Besides Avula, police suspect Wasim, who manages Star Defence Academy, Karimnagar had an active role in inciting the aspirants. "We are probing the audio messages circulated in the groups on burning the trains," a police official said.

Police said that youth identified as Santosh of Kamma Reddy, and Prithviraj of Adilabad were seen carrying petrol and setting the bogies on fire. The conversation between them on inviting the attention of the Union government towards the protest by burning the train is being widely circulated on social media. A hunt is on to nab them, they said.

Meanwhile, in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior, Police have arrested a former army soldier in connection with the violence and incidents of arson against the Agnipath recruitment scheme. Police claim that Manoj, who works as a physical trainer, provoked the youth preparing for the army recruitment and asked them to unite at Gole ka Mandir where protests erupted on June 16.

"Evidence of former soldier Manoj's presence during the riots has been found in CCTV footage. On its basis, an FIR was lodged and Manoj was arrested," Amit Sanghi, Superintendent of Police, Gwalior told ETV Bharat. On Thursday, thousands of youths gathered in Gwalior for the Agnipath recruitment scheme and protested at Gola Ka Mandir. The youth then went to the railway station and engaged in ransacking and arson attacks.

Last Updated :Jun 18, 2022, 11:31 PM IST
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