HYDERABAD: Exactly a year after two students were killed in a misfire during demonstration of weapons, the Andhra Pradesh police have decided to continue with the tradition of displaying weapons as part of the Police Commemoration Day. The top brass has, however, advised all officers to take all precautions, particularly ensuring that magazines of the weapons are emptied and not even a single bullet put on display. Police sources disclosed to Express that a five-page circular was issued to all officers on Wednesday listing out the dos and dont’s to be followed during the Open House programme.Policemen have also been instructed to ensure weapons are not loaded and take all necessary precautions at the venue, which is thronged by curious students to have a feel of the weapons used by police. On October 20 last year, a single bullet accidentally went off from a 9mm carbine and pierced through two students- M Venkata Krishna (15) and P Satya Sai Babu (13) leading to their deaths and sparking a public outcry over display of arms and ammunition to school students. The incident, in which two more students were injured, took place in a ZP high school in Khammam district and the constable, M Srinivas who loaded it at the insistence of some students, was arrested.A senior police officer said that besides emptying the magazine of the weapons on display, policemen have been asked to ensure only a sub-inspector of police rank officer would demonstrate and explain students about the weapons.Further, they have been asked to depute a DSP rank officer to supervise the programme. “We have directed officers to take all precautions after the unfortunate incident last year,” additional DGP (Law & Order), SA Huda told Express. Among the various weapons on display will be the 9 mm carbine, known to be an unstable and risky weapon when loaded, as there have been a few incidents of misfire earlier. The open house will be conducted simultaneously in some police stations in Hyderabad, Cyberabad and all other districts.
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