NALGONDA: A major controversy erupted in Nalgonda district when the husband of a sarpanch candidate was allegedly kidnapped and tortured by the supporters of a rival contestant.
The incident occurred in Yellammagudem in Thipparthy mandal of Nalgonda district on Saturday, the last day of filing nominations in the first of three-phase panchayat elections. Yellammagudem, where the sarpanch post is reserved for women, goes to poll on December 11.
Mamidi Nagalakshmi is a candidate supported by the BRS. Her husband Yadagiri claimed that he was kidnapped from the village on Saturday morning by a group of individuals led by Congress member Sandeep Reddy, who wanted to ensure his mother’s unanimous election as sarpanch.
Yadagiri alleged that Sandeep and his followers kidnapped him at knife point and forced him to call his wife, and tell her not to file the nomination. He further alleged that Sandeep Reddy and his associates tortured him and then took him to a location via the Outer Ring Road, and forcibly made him drink liquor mixed with urine.
Meanwhile, sensing her husband was kidnapped, Nagalakshmi called up former Nalgonda BRS MLA Kancharla Bhupal Reddy, who immediately approached the police. He also called up district SP, seeking information on the whereabouts of Yadagiri.
Yadagiri claims that Sandeep Reddy and his men, after coming to know about the BRS leaders approaching police, left him in front of the Thipparthy police station on Saturday night and fled from the spot.
On the same evening, the BRS leaders also helped Nagalakshmi file her nomination papers.
Sandeep, who later lodged a complaint with the Thipparthy police, also alleged that police tore up his complaint and made him sign on a blank paper stating that he was not kidnapped.
The BRS leaders are now demanding police action against Sandeep Reddy, who they said was an accused in a case related to the murder of the Yellammagudem sarpanch’s husband.