ELURU: After spending 65 days in the Eluru prison, former MLA and Telugu Desam (TDP) leader Chintamaneni Prabhakar was released on Saturday. He was granted bail a day earlier. He was welcomed by a large number of partymen and followers.
After being set free around 3 pm, he went straight to a dargah to offer prayers. Chintamaneni’s followers assembled at the flyover bridge near the jute mill in the city, ignoring the prohibitory orders. A huge rally was taken out to the former MLA’s home.
The police, as a precautionary measure, had earlier deployed police personal to maintain peace. Chintamaneni reached home at around 5 pm, where he was accorded a grand welcome by family members.
Later, addressing a press conference, the former MLA alleged that the government had framed him in false cases. He dared the government to prove the charges that he harassed the Dalits.
He accused the government of harassing him and dismissed the allegations that he misbehaved with tahasildar Vanajakshi.
The former MLA was arrested on September 11, 12 days after he was booked for assaulting a Dalit who was transporting sand in a bullock cart in West Godavari district. A case under the SC/ST Atrocities Act was registered against him at Pedapadu police station, following which he had gone missing.