As HC rejects bail, Andhra Police arrests YSRCP leader for assaulting policeman, damaging EVM, ET LegalWorld

Andhra Pradesh Police on Wednesday arrested YSRCP leader P. Ramakrishna Reddy after the Supreme Court rejected his plea for interim bail in a case relating to his alleged assault on a police inspector at Karampudi police station on May 14. Palnadu Police Commissioner Mallika Garg said Reddy was arrested in the case, which also involved setting ablaze a vehicle and an attack on the local TDP office.

She said the YSRCP leader would also be taken into custody in the other cases where he had smashed an EVM and assaulted a TDP poll worker, adding that his arrest would be brought on record in all the cases. “We have arrested him in the Karampudi police station case where a circle inspector was assaulted, a vehicle was set on fire and a TDP party office was attacked,” Garg told PTI. Police arrested Reddy on Wednesday evening when he went to testify his daily attendance at the SP office in Narasaraopeta as required by the court.

According to SP, Reddy will undergo medical tests and will be produced before a magistrate after his arrest. On polling day, May 13, former Macherla MP Ramakrishna Reddy stormed polling station no. 202 in the constituency, smashed an EVM on the ground and also allegedly got into an argument with “opponents” inside the polling station.

When the TDP polling agent questioned Reddy, he allegedly threatened him and later instigated his supporters against him, following which they attacked the agent with sticks, rods and knives that they had brought in their vehicles. The act of EVM smashing was recorded by a webcam installed by the Election Commission, which led to Reddy’s identification from footage and documentary evidence. After that, he went into hiding for a few days.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court had granted him interim bail for a few days on various grounds, including his status as a candidate for the Assembly elections. Ramakrishna Reddy lost the Macherla constituency to J. Brahmananda Reddy of the TDP in the election. The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected his interim bail in connection with the Karampudi case, leading to his arrest.