SIDDIPET: High drama and tension prevailed at the Lecturer’s Colony in Siddipet on Monday as the police recovered Rs 18.67 lakh from the house of S Anjan Rao, a relative of BJP’s candidate in the Dubbaka byelection.
Police said that the cash was meant for influencing voters ahead of the bypoll, which is scheduled for November 3 Soon after the police recovered cash and were about to leave the premises, Raghunandan Rao reached the place with a large number of followers.
This was followed by a squabble between the BJP leader, his followers and the police personnel. Meanwhile, the BJP workers caught hold of a police constable and snatched from him a bag with money in it.
They alleged that the cash was being planted by the police in Raghunandan Rao’s house to falsely accuse him of using money to influence the voters. Later in the day, BJP State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar was taken into preventive custody by the police as he reached Siddipet from Karimnagar in support of Raghunandan Rao.
Later, videos of the police manhandling the BJP leader went viral on social media. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy, who also reached Siddipet later in the night, tweeted terming the "brutal assault” on and “unjustifiable” arrest of BJP State chief as undemocratic and disgraceful.
He said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has inquired the State’s party leaders about the incident.
Meanwhile, Siddipet Police Commissioner Joel Davis told media that the police received a tip-off regarding use of money for influencing voters in Dubbaka bypoll, following which they conducted searches at three places - residences of Siddipet Municipality Chairman K Rajanarasu, Raghunandan Rao’s father-in-law S Ram Gopal Rao and one of his relatives S Anjan Rao.
"He said that his brother-in-law Jithendar Rao sent the money through his driver, for the sake of Dubbaka byelection to influence the voters and it was to be distributed in small amounts. Raghunandan Rao came along with 200 members, and 20 to 30 members immediately went inside and snatched Rs 5.87 lakh. Everything is recorded. Culprits will be identified and criminal cases will be registered against them," the Police Commissioner said.
Ram Gopal Rao, however, told the media that around 40 policemen and 20 persons in civil clothes raided the house. He alleged that the police behaved inappropriately and took away mobile phones from his family members. BJP senior leaders Jitender Reddy and G Vivek also rushed to Siddipet but were taken into preventive custody by the police.