3 held for killing train passenger for smoking

HYDERABAD: Three persons, who beat up a passenger to death for smoking a beedi in a railway compartment on Wednesday, were arrested by the railway police on Thursday. The incident took place at Pandillapalli near Chirala on the Gudur-Vijayawada passenger train (No 57223) between 7 pm and 7.30 p.m. According to DGP (law & order) M Ratan, P Subba Rao (40),  a passenger from Pandillapally in Vetapalem mandal in Prakasam district smoked a beedi in the compartment which was objected to by some fellow passengers. As Rao did not heed the objections, three persons - D Srinivasa Reddy, M Suribabu, P Krishna Reddy  - all belonging to Chinnaganjam, thrashed him. Rao suffered injuries on his vital organs and died in compartment between Uppugunduru and Chinnaganjam railway stations. The trio got down at Chinnaganjam and fled.The Government Railway Police nabbed the trio on Thursday. One of the accused, Srinivas Reddy, identified himself as an AR constable working in Prakasam. “Srinivas is not an AR constable but had only appeared for selections of cops in 2009 and the result is awaited. Railway police informed the Prakasam SP to further inquire into the matter.’’