HANAMKONDA: BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy was arrested at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad on Friday night and was produced in court shortly after. In a dramatic turn of events, the police were stunned when the magistrate rejected the remand and granted bail on a personal bond.
The entire episode unfolded in a cinematic manner, spanning over 18 hours. It concluded when Special Judicial Magistrate of First Class for Railway Cases, Kazipet, Chennu Leela Naga Susmitha, rejected the remand and granted bail.
Huzurabad MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy allegedly threatened a quarry owner. The police later shifted Kaushik Reddy to the Subedari police station for further investigation on Saturday.
According to available information, Katta Umadevi, wife of Manoj Reddy and a resident of Excise Colony in Hanamkonda, lodged a complaint on 21-04-2025 at the Subedari police station. She stated that her husband, Manoj Reddy, was running a granite business at Vangapally village in Kamalapur Mandal of Hanamkonda district.
He had been under mental stress for the past 20 days. When Umadevi asked her husband about the reason, he told her that Huzurabad MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy had threatened him, saying that if he wanted to run a granite business in the Huzurabad constituency, he must pay money to him. The MLA allegedly extorted Rs 25 lakh from him.
Again, on 18-04-2025, the accused, Padi Kaushik Reddy, allegedly called Manoj Reddy from his mobile phone and demanded another Rs 50 lakh. He reportedly threatened to kill Manoj Reddy and his family if the amount was not paid, and used abusive language. The petitioner requested the police to take necessary legal action.
Based on Umadevi’s complaint, the Subedari police registered a case under Sections 308(2), 308(4), and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Meanwhile, Kaushik Reddy had earlier approached the High Court seeking to quash the FIR filed against him. However, on 16 June, the court dismissed his plea and directed him to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. The interim protection from arrest granted earlier by the court was also vacated.
Following the MLA’s arrest, a large number of BRS party activists gathered outside the Subedari police station. Former minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao, former government chief whip Dasyam Vinay Kumar, and other party leaders rushed to the station and staged a protest demanding to meet Kaushik Reddy. The police eventually allowed them inside to meet the MLA.
BRS party activists attempted to burn an effigy of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy in front of the Subedari police station. The police intervened, arrested the protesters, and shifted them to the Madikonda police station.
Later, the Subedari police took Padi Kaushik Reddy to MGM Hospital in Warangal for a medical examination. After completion of the examination, they produced him before a magistrate at the Kazipet Railway Court.
The BRS party legal team appealed for bail on behalf of Kaushik Reddy. The Special Judicial Magistrate of First Class for Railway Cases, Kazipet, Chennu Leela Naga Susmitha, granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 20,000 with two sureties.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao posted on X, “The illegal arrest of Huzurabad MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy at Shamshabad Airport is the most heinous act. CM Revanth strongly condemns autocratic attitudes. Kaushik is questioning the irregularities of the chief minister, the corruption of ministers, and the misdeeds of Congress leaders at every step, which is why he is being framed and illegal cases are being filed against him.
“The conspiracy to harass Kaushik Reddy with false cases, who has been protesting against the injustices being done to the people by the Congress government for the past year and a half, has been ongoing for several months.
“Such petty antics and useless cases can never damage the resolve and morale of BRS leaders. Revanth, who claims to be India’s Rajyam, is being oppressed in the public sphere with repressive measures against questioning voices reminiscent of the Emergency.
“Revanth is committing such atrocities to divert public attention to cover up his inability to implement the promise made by Congress. MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy, who was arrested on the orders of an incompetent chief minister, should be immediately and unconditionally released.
“We have complete faith in the court of honour. No matter how many illegal cases are filed against us and our leaders, they have no chance of standing in the court. No matter how many hundreds of false cases are filed, BRS will continue to fight on behalf of the people against Raventh’s dictatorial rule.”
Former minister T Harish Rao also posted on X, “We strongly condemn the illegal arrest of BRS MLA @KaushikReddyBRS. The Congress government has made its mission to abandon governance and engage in political factionalism. It is taking demonic pleasure in harassing everyone from farmers to public representatives in the name of cases.
“Revanth, who calls himself Indiramma Rajyam, is calling for the emergency of Indiramma’s era. Cases and arrests cannot damage the self-confidence of BRS leaders and activists. We will expose your failures and your deceitful attitude.
“The deceived and the deceivers will be exposed in the public meeting arena. We demand the immediate release of Kaushik Reddy, who was illegally arrested.”