Security guard arrested for ‘arson’ at construction material stockyard in Amaravati

The Guntur district police on Saturday arrested a security guard on the charge of setting fire to construction materials at a stockyard and labour camp in the capital region of Amaravati, resulting in substantial damage to infrastructure supplies.

The police seized key evidence, including a pipe used to steal diesel, which was purportedly used in the crime, a lighter and a mobile phone.

Superintendent of Police Vakul Jindal, on Saturday, said the case was registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). A complaint was lodged by Sanapala Suresh, a senior project manager of Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited.

The incident occurred at a stockyard located at the E-4 and N-12 Junction, Block-3, in Zone-6 of the Amaravati capital city area, under Thullur mandal, at around 10.30 p.m. on March 23.

The facility was used to store key construction materials, including HDPE PLB silicore conduits and ductile iron pipes, apart from housing nearly 200 workers engaged in infrastructure works.

The security of the site had been outsourced to Rudra Corporate Security and Man Power Services of Guntur.

Acting upon an alert by an on-duty guard, Tippagudisa Ramu, the police, and CRDA officials, along with fire tenders, rushed to the spot. It took several hours for seven fire tenders to bring the flames under control by 3 a.m. on March 24. Initially treated as an accidental fire, the case took a turn after police noted a pattern of similar incidents in the region.

A special investigation team was formed to probe the incident. Investigators soon zeroed in on Tippagudisa Ramu alias Arlappa, 53, who had been working at the site since June 2025. Evidence gathered through forensic analysis and witnesses’ accounts suggested that Tippagudisa Ramu had set the facility on fire.

The police said the accused doused the construction materials with diesel stolen earlier and set the facility on fire, allegedly out of frustration over the denial of leave and work pressure. Tippagudisa Ramu allegedly tried to mislead his colleagues by sharing misleading images before raising an alarm.

Further investigation is on.