YSRCP leader Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy summoned for questioning in TDP office attack case

Amaravati, Oct 16 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Police have summoned YSR Congress Party leader Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy for questioning in the case relating to the 2021 attack on the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) central office.  

Mangalagiri Rural Police Station has issued notice to the former advisor to the government, directing him to appear at 10.30 a.m. on Thursday.

The police have already questioned some YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaders in connection with the October 19, 2021 attack on the TDP central office.

During the questioning of other YSRCP leaders, the police reportedly found that Ramakrishna Reddy, a party General Secretary, may also be involved and have already issued a lookout notice to prevent him from leaving the country.

Director General of Police Ch. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao had Tuesday confirmed that the Guntur Superintendent of Police issued a lookout notice against Ramakrishna Reddy in an old case, and that he will be taken into custody soon.

The YSRCP leader was stopped by immigration officials in New Delhi Airport on Monday when he returned from abroad and was on his way to board a flight to Hyderabad. The reason cited was that a lookout notice was issued against him. The former advisor to the government questioned the officials why there was a lookout notice against him when he returned from abroad and why it was not there when he went abroad. He was later allowed to catch another flight to Hyderabad.

The police chief on Tuesday revealed that five cases, including the attack on the TDP central office, the attack on TDP President and then Leader of the Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu, the attack on Gannavaram TDP office, and the cases on Bollywood actress Kadambari Jethwani, were transferred to the CID from Guntur and NTR Commissionerate of Police, the DGP said.

A large number of supporters of YSRCP attacked the TDP office on October 19, 2021, after TDP spokesperson Kommareddy Pattabhi Ram had made some objectionable comments against the then Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

In September same year, some YSRCP leaders had also allegedly attacked the residence of Chandrababu Naidu.

After the TDP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power this June, police launched a fresh investigation into both cases.

YSRCP's former MLC Nandigama Suresh, MLCs Lella Appi Reddy and Talasila Raghuram, and party leader Devineni Avinash were among those named in the TDP office attack case. Police have questioned them a few times.

On October 14, YSRCP student wing leader Panuganti Chaitanya, a key accused in the TDP office attack case, surrendered before a court at Mangalagiri in Guntur district. Chaitanya, a close aide of Appi Reddy, was allegedly absconding since the TDP-led NDA government came to power in June.