KAKINADA: Kapunadu leader Mudragada Padmanabham was arrested on Thursday evening at his residence in Kirlampudi village of East Godavari district amid high drama and tension, hours after he began an indefinite fast.
The police forced their way in by breaking the doors and stopping Mr Padmanabham from consuming the pesticide he had kept at his side since morning. Police took him to the Vydya Vidhana Hospital, Rajahmundry where doctors washed his stomach as a precautionary measure, and also collected his blood samples for analysis.
The police caned those who were obstructing his arrest. His followers were also arrested. Mr Padmanabham began his fast in his room with a pesticide bottle at his side. He was surrounded by his family and nearly 40 followers.
His wife Padmavathi, daughter, son, daughter-in-law and others sat on the fast along with Mr Padmanabham. Mr Padmanabham was demanding a government order withdrawing the cases on accused in the violent incidents at Tuni that led to the burning of two police stations and the Ratnachal Express on January 31.
SP M. Ravi Prakash went to Mr Padmana-bham’s house and asked him to cooperate. He questioned the police officials on the arrest. Mr Prakash mentioned two cases — obstructing government employees from performing their duties at Amalapuram police station on Wednesday and a suicide attempt case in February Mr Padmanabham went on indefinite fast. He said that the Kapu leader was an accused in the Tuni violence and 69 cases were booked against him.
Mr Padmanabham asked for FIR copies; he said he would then surrender to the police. The CBCID and the state police showed two cases each, but he sought FIRs of all 69 cases. Finally, deputy inspector general of police, P.V. Ramakrishna entered the scene and devised a strategy to arrest him. When the officials were speaking with Mr Padmanabham, other personnel broke open the door.
The bottle was snatched from him and he was taken to an ambulance. During this, Mr Padmanabham’s followers who were in the room obstructed the police. The police caned them and arrested them.
An hour before the arrest, the SP told reporters that though the police and CBCID officials showed the relevant papers to Mr Padmanabham, he was not cooperating with the police.
