KT Rama Rao behind Vikarabad riot: Cops after arresting former MLA

HYDERABAD: BRS former MLA from Kodangal, Patnam Narender Reddy was on Wednesday arrested by the police, two days after Vikarabad collector Prateek Jain and his subordinates were attacked by villagers at Lagacherla village.

Police officials claimed Narender had confessed to conspiring in the violence and that he was directed by BRS working president KT Rama Rao. The officers had gone to the village for a public hearing on land acquisition for a multi-industry SEZ when they were attacked.

Narender has been sent to 14 days of judicial remand by a local court. The remand report reads, "On tactful interrogation, he (Narender) confessed to have committed this offence with criminal conspiracy by abetting the accused persons in order to destabilise the govt and also to defame the Telangana govt as per the directions of their party's prominent leader, i.e KTR and others."

The report also stated that as many as 84 calls were exchanged in the past 70 days between BRS local youth leader Bogamoni Suresh, and Narender. Officials alleged the two had been in constant touch since the protests started. In fact, police had initially named Suresh as the prime accused, but he was replaced by Narender after the arrest.

Two days after Vikarabad collector Prateek Jain and his subordinates were attacked by villagers at Lagacherla village, police arrested BRS former MLA from Kodangal, Patnam Narender Reddy on Wednesday for instigating the violence.

Although BRS leaders alleged that Narender was picked up from KBR Park while he was taking a walk, police officials said he was taken into custody from his residence at Film Nagar. He was whisked away from Film Nagar to Pargi. As word of the arrest spread, BRS supporters staged a protest in Kodangal.

Officials added that, so far, 21 people have been arrested in the attack case, including 16 on Tuesday and five on Wednesday. As many as 47 people have been declared as accused, including Narender and Suresh.

The remand report also stated that four of the accused had confessed to committing the offence by executing a criminal conspiracy hatched by Narender. The ex-MLA has been accused of providing the financial and moral support to the protesters through Suresh, who is absconding.

Narender's name did not figure in Tuesday's remand report which was submitted with the arrest of the 16 accused. His name was added later. Minutes after he was picked up, KTR criticised the police action. He also accused that internet services had been disconnected in Lagacherla.

On Monday, the collector had planned a public hearing to acquire 1,350 acres from Hakimpeta, Polepalli, RB Thanda, Pulicherla, and Eerlapalli Thanda. Anticipating trouble, the hearing was held 3 km away from the protest site. But Suresh asked the collector and others to come to Lagacherla.

Trusting Suresh, the collector and his team went to the protest site, which upset the villagers and many of them turned violent. The mob attacked Kodangal Area Development Authority (KADA) special officer Venkat Reddy and two others. The collector managed to escape even as his car was pelted with stones.