Medak sarpanch candidate’s husband found after missing hours before polling

In a dramatic turn during gram panchayat elections in Medak, the husband of sarpanch candidate Cheriyala Sabitha went missing hours before polling in Gollapally village, Chegunta mandal. Police launched a search using drones and sniffer dogs, eventually tracing Janardhan Reddy in a nearby forest 12 hours later.

Medak: The husband of a sarpanch candidate from Gollapally village in Chegunta mandal went missing hours before polling on Saturday night, prompting the Chegunta police to launch a search operation using drones and sniffer dogs on Sunday morning.

The candidate, Cheryala Sabitha, alleged that her rivals had kidnapped her husband Janardhan Reddy. She expressed fears that he might have been killed by rival groups in the village.

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However, her rivals rejected the allegation and accused Sabitha and Janardhan Reddy of staging the episode to gain voter sympathy just hours before polling. Other candidates in the village demanded that election authorities cancel the polling and order a re-election, apprehending that sympathy could tilt the result in Sabitha’s favour.

Police traced Janardhan Reddy in a nearby forest around 12 hours after he went missing, while polling was underway in the village.

Speaking to reporters, Toopran Deputy Superintendent of Police J. Narendar Goud said Janardhan Reddy informed police that he fled the village after being alerted about the arrival of police teams while he was campaigning on Saturday night.

Quoting Janardhan Reddy after a preliminary inquiry, the DSP said he slipped, sustained injuries and fell unconscious while moving towards the forest area. He remained there until Sunday morning, the DSP said.

Narendar Goud said several allegations and theories had surfaced regarding the incident and all aspects would be examined as part of a detailed investigation.

Though polling was conducted smoothly without any untoward incidents, the police said the probe into the episode continues.