Hyderabad: Huzurabad BRS (Bharat Rashtra Samithi) MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy was arrested by Warangal police on Saturday, June 21, in connection with a case alleging that he threatened a quarry owner for money. The arrest, which unfolded in dramatic fashion, led to a day filled with political tension and protests.
Arrest at the Airport
Kaushik Reddy was apprehended at Shamshabad Airport around 2 a.m. while preparing to board a flight to Dubai. Acting on precise information, Subedari and Task Force police detained him and transported him to the Hanumakonda police station by 4:30 a.m.
He was then reporetedly subjected to a lengthy interrogation by Warangal Central Zone DCP Salima and ACP Narasimha Rao until 2 p.m., followed by a medical examination at MGM Hospital.
Court appearance and bail
Initially scheduled to appear before the Third MM Court in Hanumakonda, Kaushik Reddy was instead presented before Judge Nagasusmitha at the Kazipet Railway Court due to the absence of the regular magistrate. After hearing arguments from both sides for four hours, the judge rejected the police’s remand request and granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 25,000. The judge also ordered that two additional sureties must be submitted to the court by June 25.
Background of the case
The case against Kaushik Reddy was registered two months ago following a complaint by Uma Devi, wife of quarry owner Manoj Reddy. She alleged that Kaushik Reddy initially demanded Rs 25 lakh, followed by an additional demand of Rs 50 lakh, to allow the quarry operations in Kamalapur mandal, Vangapalli, and Gundedu villages. The arrest stems from this complaint.
Political reactions
After his release on bail, Kaushik Reddy accused Congress leaders of orchestrating his arrest without prior notice, allegedly under the instructions of chief minister A Revanth Reddy.
He claimed that certain ministers and MLAs were running illegal mining operations without proper permits and vowed to continue fighting against such activities. He asserted that despite the government’s attempts to remand him in a bailable case, he was released due to the efforts of his party’s legal cell.
BRS leaders, including KT Rama Rao (KTR), T Harish Rao, and others, condemned the arrest, labelling it undemocratic and demanding Kaushik Reddy’s unconditional release. They criticised the manner in which the police acted without serving any notice and alleged a political vendetta for questioning the government and the Chief Minister.
On the other hand, Congress MLC Balmuri Venkat criticised the BRS leaders for supporting Kaushik Reddy, questioning the appropriateness of defending someone accused of deceiving the public.
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