Bageerath was arrested & did not surrender, affirms CM

Hyderabad: Contradicting the claims made by Union minister of state for home affairs Bandi Sanjay that he handed over his son Bageerath to the police, Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy said Bageerath was arrested by the police at Appa junction during a ‘Naka Bandi’ (checkpoint), and had not surrendered to the police.“If the minister asked his son Bageerath to surrender to the police, the police would have completed the process at his residence or the location where Bageerath is located. But he was arrested on the road. Sanjay may have advised his son to surrender to the police, which I did not know. But the police informed me that he was arrested at Appa junction, and I trust the police,” the CM said at a press conference at Secretariat on Thursday.The CM denied the allegations by the BRS on shielding Bageerath before his arrest, and said the BRS had politicised the issue, asserting that the police followed the procedures as per the law.“When the police received a complaint from the girl’s parents, an FIR was booked and the statement of the girl and her parents was recorded. There were claims and counter claims over the age of the girl. The investigation was delayed by one or two days as the entire police machinery was busy with PM Narendra Modi’s bandobast duty. Later, the police issued lookout notice and arrested the accused. There is no lapse on the police investigation, even the high court did not find fault with the procedures or investigation,” Revanth Reddy explained. He said it is the responsibility of the police to protect the identity of the girl and her parents as it is a sensitive issue.He criticised BRS working president KT Rama Rao and party leader RS Praveen Kumar, alleging they utilised the minor girl issue for their political gains and behaved inhumanely. “If they want to do politics, they should do during the elections and defeat us, but should not stoop to such levels,” the CM said.Revanth Reddy also said that at KTR’s brother-in-law‘s farmhouse, people were found allegedly consuming drugs and ganja, but the BRS leader did not demand any action. “Unfortunately, the people who consumed the drugs are considered as victims and get station bail as per the rule. But those caught in drunken driving incidents are arrested and put in the jail. They are escaping using loopholes in the law,” the CM said. He also questioned why the opposition leader (KCR) did not react on the Pocso case.The CM also attacked KTR for politicising the paddy procurement and farmers suicides. “Instead of helping the farmers who took the extreme step, he is using their death for their political gains,” Revanth said.On petrol and diesel prices hike, Revanth Reddy said the BJP govt was looking at the war and inflation issues with a political angle and increased petrol and diesel rates after the elections in four states were held. “But our Congress govt looks at every issue in the public interest and takes decisions,” he added. While welcoming the Supreme Court judgment on caste census, he demanded PM Narendra Modi to include caste census in the general census and that BCs should be given opportunities according to their population.