Goonda Raj: BRS says KTR’s PA, PRO attacked during questioning

Hyderabad: The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has alleged that the personal assistant and the public relations officer of the party working president, KT Rama Rao, were attacked by “15 masked goons” during their questioning at the Saifabad police station earlier on Monday, September 14, a charge since denied by the police.

KTR’s PRO Mahesh Manickya and PA Mahender Reddy were summoned to the police station on the basis of a complaint by Busaramoni Jangaiah, a Reserve Inspector at the City Armed Reserve Headquarters.

The duo faces first information reports (FIRs) for allegedly obstructing police personnel from discharging their duties during the confrontation outside the state Assembly on the first day of the Monsoon Session.

After the questioning, however, the BRS X handle had this: “A ‘Goonda Raj’ (rule of thugs) is prevailing in Telangana under Revanth Reddy’s leadership.”

Claiming that the alleged attack was ‘orchestrated by the Congress government’, the party summoned its leaders and workers to reach the police station.

While the Congress has yet to react to this allegation, by late evening, tension was palpable at the police station where BRS leaders and workers started gathering.

BRS lawyers also arrived at the station. Speaking to the media, one of them said, “Around 15 people barged into the police station and attacked Mahesh Reddy and Mahender Reddy. This happened in the presence of the circle inspector and the station house officer. They were all masked.”

He alleged that another 20 men arrived later. “Law and order in Telangana has gone for a toss. What is the DGP doing?” the lawyer asked, adding, “This is clearly a political vendetta. We demand a thorough investigation using the CCTV installed in the station. We demand immediate arrest!”

‘No attack took place,’ say police

Meanwhile, Khairatabad Zone DCP Shilpavalli denied reports of an attack at the Saifabad Police Station. Responding to reports of an alleged attack attempt at the police station, the DCP said neither Mahesh nor Reddy was attacked.

According to Shilpavalli, a group of local youths had come to the police station in the evening, seeking permission to use DJ equipment at a Ganesh pandal. She said the youths got into an argument with the Saifabad CI after he allegedly responded rudely to their request.

During the argument, one of the youths reportedly recognised KTR’s PRO and questioned the police, saying, “Would you make people who created a nuisance near the Assembly sit down respectfully and talk to them?”

The CI warned the youths against speaking in that manner, following which they left the police station, the DCP said.

Shilpavalli said police examined the CCTV footage from the station and found no evidence of any attack on KTR’s staff. “We examined the CCTV cameras at the police station. No attack took place,” she said.

‘Congress goons or masked cops?’ asks KTR

Earlier in the evening, KTR wrote a long post on X, demanding an inquiry. While refraining from identifying the ‘attackers’ as Congress workers, KTR said, “Was this the handiwork of Congress goons? Or was it a conspiracy orchestrated by masked police personnel in plainclothes to carry out this attack? An inquiry by a sitting judge must be ordered immediately.”

Harish Rao joins party chorus

MLA T. Harish Rao has also condemned the alleged attack on Reddy and Mahesh, calling the assailants “masked police personnel”. In a post on X, the Siddipet MLA said, “On a festival day, under the pretext of questioning, they were summoned to the police station, and at around 6.30 pm, approximately 15 masked police personnel attempted an assault.”

Rao claimed that the policemen barged into the interrogation room and attacked the PA and PRO. He added that the BRS’s legal team witnessed the incident, raised alarms and intervened, causing the attackers to flee from the spot.

The former Telangana minister accused the government of sending masked personnel from the task force to assault the men. He asked whether the government would resort to physical attacks because the BRS exposes its mistakes.

“Even though the High Court has issued orders not to take any action until further directives are released in this case… disregarding even those and attempting this attack is nothing but a contempt of court orders,” Rao added.

The BRS MLA sought a response from Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy over the alleged assault and demanded that the full closed-circuit television camera footage of the incident inside the police station be released at the earliest.