BRS MLCs Thatha Madhu, Naveen Kumar arrested amid allegations of police excess

Two BRS MLCs, Thatha Madhusudhan and B. Naveen Kumar Reddy, were arrested by Saifabad police from their residences in Hyderabad on Tuesday morning, a day after alleged high-handedness against BRS legislators at the Assembly.

Hyderabad:  The Saifabad police arrested BRS MLCs Thatha Madhusudhan alias Madhu and B Naveen Kumar Reddy from their residences at the MLA Quarters and Kokapet, respectively, on Tuesday morning, a day after the police high-handedness against BRS legislators at the Telangana Assembly.

Tension prevailed as large police teams arrived at both residences around 6.30 am when the MLCs were reportedly getting ready to attend the Council session.

At the MLA Quarters, police allegedly attempted to enter Madhu’s bedroom even as he had just finished bathing and was wearing only a towel. BRS leaders, including BRSV State president Gellu Srinivas Yadav, who had arrived to accompany him to the Council, argued with police, alleging that Madhu was not even allowed time to get dressed.

In a video which went viral on social media, a police officer could be seen arguing, “Why can’t he dress with the bedroom door open,” after Madhu shut the bedroom door forcibly to get dressed.

A similar scene unfolded at Naveen Kumar Reddy’s residence in Kokapet. His family alleged that police entered their home forcibly and dragged him out before he could even wear his shoes.

Police later served arrest intimation notices on their families. According to the FIR, the case was registered following a complaint by Pollepalli Venkatesham, OSD (Officer on Special Duty) to Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, over alleged remarks made by the two MLCs during the chaos at the Assembly gate on Monday.

The FIR alleged that Madhu and Naveen Kumar used derogatory, abusive and insulting language against the Speaker, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community, in a public area. It further alleged that the remarks were intended to humiliate and demean the Speaker and that video recordings and media coverage formed part of the evidence.

Both the MLCs were arrested under Section 352 read with 3(5) of the BNS and provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. They were shifted to the Saifabad police station and will be produced before the First Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court at Nampally.

The arrests came amid BRS allegations that police had used excessive force against its MLAs and MLCs, including women legislators, at the Assembly gate on Monday.