Curfew in Vizianagaram relaxed for 2 hrs

Visakhapatnam, Curfew in violence-hit Vizianagaram town in the district was relaxed for two hours this morning to facilitate people to purchase essential commodities as the situation is fast returning to normal.

With the situation showing improvement, authorities will also extend another relaxation in curfew between 2 PM to 4 PM, DIG (Vizag) P. Umapathi said on Thursday. The curfew was clamped in Vizianagaram town on Saturday night in the wake of large-scale violence by anti-bifurcation agitators. Umapathi said curfew was being lifted as no fresh violence is reported since last three days in Vizianagaram town. The curfew was relaxed for two hours last morning also to facilitate people to buy essential commodities. In all, 280 people suspected to be involved in the violence have been taken into custody, the DIG said. Police and paramilitary personnel, including members of the Rapid Action Force deployed in Vizianagaram following violence and arson, are continuing to patrol the city even as normalcy is returning to the town. A special team with DSP rank officers has been formed to identify few other culprits, who torched various properties, including those owned by APCC president Botsa Satyanarayana and his family members, police had said.