Amidst the Telangana assembly election pressure, it was reported that Congress candidate for Gajwel assembly constituency, Vanteru Pratap Reddy allegedly made a futile self-immolation attempt to prevent the police from conducting a search in his house at Kompally on the outskirts of Hyderabad late on Monday night.
Vanteru Pratap Reddy, who is contesting against Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president and chief minister, K Chandrasekhar Rao, was later arrested for obstructing the police from discharging their duties.
The police informed that a case of attempted suicide, obstructing public servants in discharge of their duty and other charges under relevant sections have been registered against Reddy.
According to Cyberabad Police, the Election Commission had received a complaint from TRS leaders earlier in the day that Reddy and his followers were distributing money to people at his Kompally residence. A flying squad comprising election officials along with a team led by Balanagar deputy commissioner of police, Padmaja, reached Reddy’s house late on Monday to conduct searches in his house following an instruction from the poll body.
Reddy, along with his family members and supporters reportedly resisted the team’s entry, alleging that the police was trying to intimidate him and his workers in the name of such search operations.
While the team was executing the task, Reddy immediately doused himself with petrol and tried to set himself on fire, however, the police managed to thwart the attempt.
Though nothing substantial was found during the search, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Balanagar Zone) PV Padmaja told PTI that “Reddy along with his supporters misbehaved with the officials on duty and also with police.”
Meanwhile Reddy blamed the TRS supremo claiming that because he was a strong contender, the Chief Minister was instigating the police to harass him mentally and physically.
Supporters of the Congress candidate gathered near his house and started shouting slogans against the TRS government and the chief minister.
As the situation turned tense, police took Reddy into custody and warned the party workers against coming in there way while they were performing their duty. After an intense search for over an hour, the police left saying they did not find any money or valuables at the house.
A day before this incident Reddy held a hunger strike in front of the office of the Election Returning Officer in Gajwel. He had alleged that his phones were being tapped and that his supporters were being harassed by the TRS leaders.
Gajwel Police arrested him and took him away though they let him off later. But Reddy got himself admitted to a corporate hospital in Secunderabad complaining of low blood pressure.
Telangana assembly elections are scheduled to be held on December 7.
