Konda Surekha triggers political storm within Congress; Revanth Reddy, Ponguleti accused of conspiracy to arrest her OSD

Police moved to arrest OSD N Sumanth after his termination over alleged corruption, sparking a political row when the Endowments Minister’s daughter intervened and accused the CM and ministers of orchestrating a vendetta

Hyderabad: The Congress government in Telangana has landed in a major controversy after police attempted to arrest N Sumanth, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Endowments Minister Konda Surekha, late on Wednesday night.

The issue spiralled after Surekha’s daughter, Konda Sushmita, stopped the police and alleged that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, and Chief Minister’s Advisor Vem Narender Reddy were behind the entire episode.

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The controversy began on Tuesday night when the State government terminated Sumanth’s services following corruption allegations. The termination orders were issued by the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TGPCB), which had initially appointed Sumanth on a one-year contract. He was later deputed to the Minister’s office, with his contract extended till December this year.

Sumanth faces serious charges, including interference in official matters, pressuring officials, and involvement in large-scale corruption. He allegedly took bribes from stone crusher operators for environmental clearances and mismanaged funds related to the Medaram Jatara festival.

Interestingly, Minister Surekha had earlier accused Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy of meddling in Medaram contract works, soon after which Sumanth’s termination was issued. Reports also claim Sumanth collected large sums of money during his earlier postings in the Endowments and Forest departments.

According to sources, the complaints reached Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who directed Chief Secretary and officials to investigate and take action. Following an internal inquiry, Sumanth was dismissed from service.

The issue escalated on Wednesday night when Task Force personnel reached Surekha’s residence reportedly acting on information that Sumanth was hiding there. Sushmita confronted the police and later spoke to the media, alleging that Sumanth was being framed with the knowledge of the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

She also claimed that the alleged case was linked to a complaint of extortion purportedly filed by Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy. “When I called him, he said he had not lodged any complaint,” she told reporters. Sushmita warned that if anything happened to her parents or Sumanth, there would be “serious repercussions” for the government.