Hyderabad: YSR Congress Rajampet MP Peddireddy Mithun Reddy was arrested and whisked away by an Andhra Pradesh police team when he arrived in Chennai airport from Bangkok early on Sunday morning.
He was held in connection with an alleged assault on Air India manager S. Rajsekhar at Renigunta airport in November 2015.
Airport sources said the Rajampet MP arrived on a Thai Airways flight at 1.30 am from Bangkok. His name figured in the lookout circular of the immigration dept and he was detained and handed over to plainclothes policemen who were waiting for him.
“The AP police team whisked him away at around 4.15 am,” airport sources said. The sleuths seemed to have had prior information and a team was waiting outside the airport for his arrival.
The MP was arrested by the Gajulamandyam police and taken to Srikalahasti One-Town police station. He was later produced before additional first class magistrate Chaitanya who remanded him to two weeks.
MP Mithun in jail at Nellore
After conducting medical tests at the local government hospital, Mithun was shifted to Nellore jail on 14-day remand.
A news report said that as the MP had gone abroad, the AP Police had approached the Union ministry of home affairs for initiating a lookout notice against him at all international airports in the country.
The MP had entered into an argument with Mr Rajsekhar and allegedly assaulted him along with his followers for not issuing boarding passes for a flight to New Delhi beyond the deadline.
Based on the complaint lodged by Air India authorities and the CCTV footage, Yerpedu police registered a criminal case against 19 accused including Mr Mithun Reddy. The parliamentarian, however, had refuted the charge, saying that there is some ulterior motive behind the episode.
A case was registered against Mr Mithun Reddy and others under sections 323, 353 and 448 of the IPC. During the investigation, police had identified the alleged involvement of 19 persons, including the MP. Out of 19, 16 persons have already been arrested and released on bail.
The Hyderabad High Court had last week declined anticipatory bail to the MP. The MP’s PA had secured an anticipatory bail.
YSRC MP’s arrest brings relief to Air India man’s kin
The arrest of YSRC MP P. Mithun Reddy for attacking Air India manager S. Rajsekhar at Renigunta airport in November has brought relief to the officer’s family.
“Half justice has been done with his arrest. We hope the court will deliver justice,” a family member said.
Mr Rajsekhar and his family are still undergoing post-attack trauma following the assault on him by the MP and his followers.
Mr Rajsekhar, who suffered a fracture to his spine and one of his ribs, is bedridden at his Hyderabad residence. His younger brother, Dr S. Ravikanth, a general surgeon, said Mr Rajsekhar needed “a good four to six weeks of rest for the fracture to heal and the pain to subside”.
YSRC Rajampet MP Mithun Reddy had slapped Mr Rajsekhar at the Renigunta airport allegedly as he had not delayed a scheduled Air India flight in November.
Since Mr Rajsekhar suffered severe injuries in the attack, his family had brought him home to Masab Tank, Hyderabad, for further treatment after preliminary tests.
His two siblings who are settled abroad flew down to Hyderabad immediately after the incident.
Mr Rajsekhar has not come out of shock after the incident. The news of the MP’s arrest on Sunday did not change his condition, a family member said.
“We know what he is going through now. He is having nightmares and at one point we thought of taking him to a psychiatrist. We are trying to make him normal by talking and being with him,” said Dr Ravikanth, who has come down from Abu Dhabi. He added that the police would not have laid their hands on an MP if they had no evidence.
“They might have got some strong evidence against him. Otherwise, they will not dare to arrest an MP. If he is not guilty, why was he absconding for so many days,” asked Dr Ravikanth.
Mr Rajsekhar is trying to walk with assistance, but is still finding it difficult to sit and stand.
Cops nab 800 YSR Congress cadres, seize their vehicles
Police today took 800 YSRCP activists into custody as they tried to reach Yerpedu and seized their vehicles as a precautionary measure.
The MP Mithun Reddy wanted to surrender to court today at Yerpedu. To participate in the event, a large of number of party activists came from different mandals in Chittoor district to Yerpedu.
The party activists came to protest against the arrest of Mithun Reddy. The police seized the vehicles of the activists in various towns.
While the MLA Peddireddy Rama-chandra Reddy was coming to protest against the arrest of his son Peddireddy Mithun Reddy was stopped by police.
Chittoor S.P. Ghattamaneni Srinivas said “So far police took 600 YSRCP activists and seized their vehicles while they were heading for Yerpedu. We have imposed Section 144 in the district as a precautionary measure to maintain peace.”
Meanwhile, the eight YSRC MLAs were kept under house arrest for sometime.
