KONASEEMA: Twenty people were arrested in connection with the Amalapuram arson case and were remanded to custody. With this 111 people have been arrested who were involved in the case of rioting and arson in Amalapuram town in Konaseema district of Andhra Pradesh, district Superintendent of Police KSSV Subba Reddy informed on Saturday.

He said that seven FIRs have been registered in connection with the Amalapuram riots so far and the accused have been arrested in six FIRs so far and there will be more arrests in the coming days, he said. The SP said the arrests were based on the confessions of the accused, eyewitnesses, CCTV footage, technology such as Google Track and cell tower location, and the Whatsapp chat transcriptions.

Internet services have been restored in 11 mandals and at present internet services were suspended only in Amalapuram Rural, Allavaram, Ambajipeta, and Ainavilli mandals. The suspension will be lifted in all the four mandals on July 7, the SP revealed.

Troublemakers spread anti-social messages through WhatsApp groups for four days before the violence in the Amalapuram town on May 24. Around 19 rioters were already arrested. Seven social media group admins were also taken into custody for spreading anti-social messages inciting arson in the otherwise peaceful town over the renaming of the Konaseema district after Dr BR Ambedkar.

As of now the situation in the town has been normalized however SP Subbareddy said that Section 144 and Police Section-30 would continue to be imposed in the Konaseema district for another week. "We are ordering the withdrawal of the suspension of internet restrictions imposed in 15 mandals for social media control in a phased manner, the SP said.

Also Read: Police Arrests 18 More in Konaseema Violence, FIR against 7 Men