Kyathanpalli stalemate: Former BRS MLA Balka Suman arrested, sent to judicial custody

BRS district president Balka Suman and three others were remanded to 14-day judicial custody in connection with the Kyathanpalli municipal chairperson row. Police cited unlawful assembly and rioting charges, while a BRS–CPI bandh in the town remained peaceful

Mancherial: BRS district president Balka Suman and three other party leaders, who were arrested on Wednesday, were remanded in 14-day judicial custody and lodged in the Adilabad town jail in connection with a case registered over the Kyathanpalli incident.

First Class Additional Junior judge G Kavita permitted the police to take Suman, Mula Raji Reddy, D Anil and Ramidi Laxmikanth into judicial custody from February 18 to March 3. The court heard versions of both public prosecutor P Ajay and Suman’s lawyer M Ravind Rao.

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Earlier in the day, Suman was taken to the Government-General Hospital (GGH)-Mancherial for medical examination and later produced before the court at 4 pm.

He was arrested from his residence in Kyathanpalli on charges of unlawful assembly, rioting and obstructing the duties of a sub-inspector amidst strong resistance from party’s cadres. He was later shifted to Srirampur police station before being brought to the GGH.

Suman was taken into custody by ACP Ravi Kumar, Inspector Srinivas and their staff even as hundreds of BRS activists from various parts of the district gathered at his residence and tried to prevent the arrest. Police resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the activists and gain access to the residence, resulting in tension for a while.

Ravi Kumar along with his team managed to enter the residence by breaking open the main gate. Suman alleged that the Congress arrested him after booking a false case against him to capture the chairperson post of Kyathanpalli Municipality. He wondered as to why Labour Minister G Vivek targeted him even as voters had rejected the Congress.

Suman’s residence was surrounded by BRS cadres, expecting police action any moment since Monday midnight. The activists raised slogans against the Congress and Vivek. Maruthinagar Colony in Kyathanpalli turned into a war zone with large contingents of policemen lathi-charging the mobs before detaining Suman.

The other three accused persons Mula Raji Reddy, D Anil and Ramidi Laxmikanth were arrested from Chennur and other parts of the district on Wednesday morning. Five other accused persons Godisela Ramaramesh, G Chandra Kiran, Medipalli Sampath, G Ravinder Reddy, Bandari Suribabu and others were absconding. A case was registered against Suman and eight others on Tuesday night.

Bandh peaceful

Meanwhile, a day-long bandh called by BRS-CPI alliance in protest against misconduct by Congress councillors towards BRS women councillors and anarchy of the Congress went off peacefully in Kyathanpalli. Commercial establishments and educational institutions remained closed, while various people’s organisations extended solidarity to the protest. An AITUC leader V Seetharamaiah was detained.