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66-Yr-Old Woman Arrested For Questioning Andhra Pradesh Govt Over Vizag Gas Leak Incident
Writer: Navya Singh
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Andhra Pradesh, 20 May 2020 11:24 AM GMT
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The woman allegedly raised 20 objectionable questions asking why there were no arrests in the fatal Vizag gas leak and why the government let the remaining styrene gas to be sent back to South Korea.
The Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) registered a case against 66-year-old P Ranganayakamma for allegedly putting up objectionable comments on social media pertaining to the Vizag gas leak and the government's response to the incident.
The Crime Investigation Department is also on the lookout for another person, Malladi Raghunath, who had allegedly supported her views. The CID had established that the woman allegedly created propaganda against the state government and also triggered panic among people, provoking them against the state authorities.
A case under Sections of 505 (2) (making statements that create or promote enmity),153 (A) (indulging in wanton vilification), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 120-B r/w 34 (criminal conspiracy) and also under Section 67 of IT Act, 2008 has been registered against the old woman.
"If this is her first offence, she is liable for imprisonment up to three years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh. If she repeats the offence, she would be sentenced to five years' imprisonment, besides a fine of Rs 10 lakh," the CID mentioned in a statement.
The woman allegedly raised 20 objectionable questions asking why there were no arrests in the fatal Vizag gas leak and why the government let the remaining styrene gas to be sent back to South Korea, suspecting that the South Korean company might have destroyed all the evidence.
Ranganayakamma also raised pointed to the police's inability to collect fingerprints or authenticate the attendance of the plant staff. She accused the police of allowing 'errant' plant officials to evade unpunished.
Ranganayakamma claimed that she did not have any wrong intentions and shared a post put up by one her friends.
She also said that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary Nara Lokesh reached out to her over phone and extended support to legally fight her case.
"If posting a comment against the government is a crime, one wonders how many cases should have been filed against YSR Congress leaders for posting objectionable comments against the previous TDP government," TDP leader Devineni Umamaheshwara Rao said.
He also demanded that the case against Ranganayaki should be withdrawn with immediate effect.
Fatal Gas Leak
On the early morning of May 7, a toxic chemical leak from a polymer plant near Visakhapatnam impacted villages in a three-km radius, causing many deaths and affecting scores of people and animals who were seen lying unconscious on roads.
The toxic leak was noticed by company staff who were reportedly inspecting machines to restart the factory and raised an alarm. The Andhra Pradesh government later ordered a probe into the incident.
Also Read: Vizag Gas Leak: Company Did Not Have Environmental Clearance, NGT Issues Notice To LG Polymers India
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