Four Teams Conducting Searches To Capture YSR MLA

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh Police have launched searches to arrest Macherla YSRC MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy in connection with his poll-related law violations at a polling booth on the voting day.

The MLA reportedly gave a slip to the police in Isnapur near Sangareddy in Telangana on Wednesday. The police arrested his driver. The MLA is accused No. 1 in the EVM smashing case at the Palvai Gate polling booth in Macherla on May 13. Following this, the police issued a lookout notice preventing the MLA from leaving the country.

The AP Police claims it formed four special teams to arrest the MLA. They took Pinnelli's aides into custody and questioned them to ascertain the whereabouts of the MLA.

Stating these, DGP Harish Gupta sent a detailed report to the EC. He informed the EC that four special teams were formed under an additional SP to trace and arrest the MLA. Raids and checks were continuing in Telangana and a lookout circular to restrain the MLA from leaving the country has been released.

The DGP said the AP Police registered cases against Pinnelli and his brothers under 10 sections of IPC.

As per the case, Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy “entered the Palvai Gate polling station (202) in Macherla during the voting on May 13, and proceeded to lift the EVM. He smashed it and destroyed the VVPAT machine.”

The polling staff “panicked” and could not act. However, the polling agent from the opposition party manhandled one of Ramakrishna Reddy's followers. He also scolded the MLA for destroying the EVM.

All these incidents were captured by the CCTV camera installed in the polling centre for webcasting. Yet, the local police, without checking the CCTV footage thoroughly at the polling centre, registered an FIR mentioning that “unidentified persons have criminally trespassed into the polling station, damaged the EVM and VVPAT.”

The complaint was lodged by VRO Pole Janaiah without mentioning Pinnelli’s name.

The Election Commission, taking the incident seriously, ordered the state police to arrest Ramakrishna Reddy and his errant supporters. Police registered a case under several sections and formed special teams, which went to Telangana as Ramakrishna Reddy absconded from his constituency.

Subsequently, the police got information saying that Pinnelli was travelling towards Sangareddy. Immediately, the local police caught his vehicle at Kandi village near Sangareddy town. However, Ramakrishna Reddy “escaped” from the vehicle and he could not be arrested. The cops took his driver into custody.

The Palnadu police sounded an alert all over the district fearing retaliatory attacks between political rivals following the possible arrest of Macherla MLA. Ban orders under Section 144 was promulgated and additional forces were summoned to man the sensitive areas of the district.