Representative image of a man in jail.
Credit: iStock Photo
Hyderabad: Telangana police arrested former Kodangal BRS MLA Patnam Narender Reddy on Wednesday in connection with the attack on Vikarabad Collector Prateek Jain and other government officials two days ago in Lagcherla of Dudyal mandal.
As the incident took place in Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy's home assembly constituency, Kodangal, police have been investigating the case with vigor. Narender Reddy was picked up by the police while he was on morning walk at KBR Park in the city.
It is learnt that police found the main accused in the case, B Suresh, a local BRS leader made a series of phone calls to Patnam Narender Reddy, a day before the incident and also on that particular day. BRS working president, KT Rama Rao, alleged that the Revanth Reddy government has been in a tearing hurry and bringing pressure on the farmers in Kodangal to part away with their lands for setting up a pharmaceutical company by his son-in-law, Goluguri Satyanarayana Reddy, who is the promoter of Max BN Pharma.
Until now, police have arrested around 16 residents of Lagcherla and were on the lookout for another 40 members, including the main accused, Suresh. In its remand report, police said that the attack was preplanned and premeditated, as a few villagers had kept chilli powder, sticks, and stones ready to attack whenever the government team came to the village.
The Telangana IAS Association took a very serious view of the incidents that have occurred in Vikarabad district. “The government is taking strong action in the matter. Such acts cannot dilute the resolve of government officials in discharging their duties in any manner,” said TG IAS Association president Sashank Goel in a statement.
“This government is troubling the poor. I'm not saying this without reason. They are taking farmers' lands for the expansion of Max BN Company, which belongs to Revanth Reddy's son-in-law. There's also a person named Annam Sharath. He's the owner of Medicover Hospital. Revanth Reddy's son-in-law and Sharath are both directors in the same organization. The Chief Minister is conspiring to commit irregularities under the name of Pharma Village for the benefit of these two. In Bengaluru too, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar inaugurated the Medicover Hospital. In Kodangal, a BRS worker named Suresh is losing 7 acres of land. Is it inappropriate to raise concerns about the loss of valuable land?” asked KTR.