Kapu community member ends life over quota

Amid demand for reservation to Kapus in Andhra Pradesh, a man belonging to the community on Monday committed suicide in Kakinada town to protest non-extension of quota for the community as well as special category status to the state.

Forty-five-year-old C H V Murthy hung himself to a dish antenna at Bennet Club in the Collectorate in Kakinada, the East Godavari district headquarters, around 400km from here. “A letter was found in his pocket which said he is ending his life for non-inclusion of Kapu community in BC list as also central government not according special category status to Andhra Pradesh”, Police Inspector (Special Branch), Kakinada, V Srinivas, told PTI by telephone.

Murthy belonged to Kapu community but had no “political background”, he said, adding he was a TV mechanic by profession and a resident of Kakinada.

His suicide comes a day after violence broke out in Tuni, East Godavari district when a public meeting called to demand reservation for the community under BC category in jobs and education turned violent.
The meeting, “Kapu Aikya Garjana”, was convened by former Minister Mudraguda Padmanabham. Thousands of protesters resorted to rail, road blockades, torched some compartments of a train and a police station besides targeting a number of vehicles. At least 15 policemen were injured in the violence.