Tension prevailed for some time at Sompeta where Itchapuram TDP MLA P Sairaju was arrested at his residence amid protests on Sunday. A large number of TDP activists opposed the MLA’s arrest and party’s BC Cell president SC Ramana even went to the extent of making an attempt of self-immolation by dousing himself with petrol. Party activists, however, succeeded in preventing Ramana from taking the extreme step.
The police dispersed the protestors and arrested the MLA. They took him to the Baruva police station. Later, when he was produced in the First Class Judicial Magistrate Court at Sompeta, he was remanded in judicial custody up to August 24. The legislator was shifted to the Srikakulam District Jail immediately thereafter.
The MLA is one of the 103 persons arrested in connection with the agitation against the Nagarjuna Thermal Power Plant. They were charged with causing obstruction to site levelling works taken up by NCC for the proposed 2640 MW thermal power plant at Sompeta. Contractor of the NCC works Satyanarayana Raju lodged a complaint to this effect at the Baruva police station. The police registered cases under IPC 147, 148, 447 and 120 B against them. Except the MLA, all others have obtained anticipatory bail.
He was charged with destroying the assets of Nagarajuna Company on March 30, 2010.