Cab driver family allege police acting under political influence

Hyderabad: The family of Ola cab driver Y. Venkatesh, who was attacked by a group of seven people in Upparpally and is now in a coma, claimed that the Rajendranagar police were being influenced by the accused and not arresting them.

On August 8, Venkatesh, a native of Nagar Kurnool, was beaten with wickets by the accused M. Vivek Reddy, a used-car trader, and six others. Police said Vivek Reddy had refused to pay the fare for Venkatesh’s taxi that he had booked from Gurrumguda to Upparpally. Along with the other accused, he assaulted Venkatesh.

The driver was then confined in Upparpally and beaten once more. After the incident, Venkatesh was admitted to a city hospital after suffering severe head injuries and went into comat

Although the police stated that Vivek Reddy had surrendered the same day, the family complained that the police were withholding information and failing to provide a complete account of the arrest.

According to Rajendranagar sub-inspector Y. Srikanth, Vivek Reddy named six people who were involved in the incident, during interrogation. The six, all residents of Upparpally, were arrested and are being questioned. The accused, according to the family, were allegedly attempting to exert political pressure on the police.