Hyderabad: One person was killed and 10 others critically injured after the police opened fire to control an angry mob after they went berserk at Secunderabad Railway station in protest against the Union Government's new Agnipath scheme.
The police personnel opened about 15 rounds of fire as the protest did not die down in the station.
In the process a protestor Damodar was critically injured. He was immediately shifted to a hospital where he was declared dead.
The critically injured pesons were shifted to Gandhi Hospital in Secunderabad.
“The Government Railway Police (GRP) were forced to open fire at the angry mob after lathi-charge and lobbing tear gas shells failed to bring the protests under control,” police sources said.
Reports said two constables were injured in the stone pelting by the protestors.
Railways DG Sandeep Shandilya and other senior officials reached the spot and are monitoring the situation.
Hundreds of protestors barged into the railway tracks and platforms damaging the food stalls, luggages, and partially torching three trains.
The sources said the signalling system was damaged and other railway property was damaged.
As the Government railway police reached the spot and started trying to disperse the protestors, they pelted stones on police personnel.
The GRP are trying to pacify the protestors and clearing the crowd, who are protesting on the railway tracks.
The Armed Forces aspirants were demanding long-term Army recruitment instead of the new four-year period of service.
Protesters also damaged offices on Platform Nos 1 and 10, ransacked computers and electronics, destroyed CCTV cameras, lights and fans on all 10 platforms in the station.
Food and convenience stalls on all the platforms were also looted and set on fire. As the protesters tried to enter electric locomotive engines, railway officials cut power to the entire railway station.
South Central Railway officials called for an emergency meeting and estimated that property worth at least Rs 20 crore has been damaged.
Trains that were scheduled to arrive at Secunderabad railway station were diverted to other nearby stations or halted outside.
All other trains scheduled to leave from the station were delayed. Thousands of passengers waiting for trains were stranded and police moved them to safer locations.
Meanwhile South Central Railway (SCR) has cancelled MMTS services, three trains partially cancelled due to the agitation at the Secunderabad Railway station.
The situation is still tense at the Railway station, the sources added. (UNI)
