VISAKHAPATNAM: Amid high drama, former minister and TDP politburo member Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu and his son Rajesh was arrested by CID police from his residence at Narsipatnam in Anakapalle district in the wee hours on Thursday.
Ayyanna was arrested in connection with filing forged documents when the local administration had earlier gone to demolish the compound wall of his house claiming it was constructed on encroached land. He will be produced before the magistrate in court at Eluru.
Cases have been filed under non-bailable sections of 464, 467 and 471.
Tension prevailed at Ayyanna's house as a large contingent of policemen swooped on his house and surrounded the house even as TDP workers and followers gathered and tried to resist the arrests.
The CID police issued notice to Ayyanna before arresting him.
Wife of Ayyanna, Padmavathi, said she feared a threat to the lives of her husband and son. She alleged they were forcibly and illegally taken into custody. They even did not tell them where they were taking Ayyanna and Rajesh, she said. She criticised the police action and said the police even did not allow her husband to change his dress. She said the YSRC government was harassing them for questioning the government for the last three years
Meanwhile, the arrest of Ayyanna triggered instant protests in Narsipatnam. TDP gave a call for a town bandh protesting against the arrest of Ayyanna and his son Rajesh.
TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and other leaders condemned the arrest of Ayyanna and his son Rajesh. Chandrababu said police filed 10 cases against Ayyanna and were harassing Ayyanna's family. He demanded the immediate release of Ayyanna and Rajesh.
In Visakhapatnam, the police took TDP district president Palla Srinivasa Rao, party MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, TNSF president Pranav Gopal and others into preventive custody when they were going to the CID office at Arilova. They were shifted to Anandapuram police station.