The court stressed that Reddy must remain in Prathipadu police custody overnight, with his lawyer present to ensure transparency.
Published Sep 24, 2025 | 2:24 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 24, 2025 | 2:24 PM
Andhra Pradesh High Court. (Supplied)
Synopsis: The Andhra Pradesh High Court condemned the illegal arrest of YSRCP activist K Savindra Reddy, ordering his immediate release. CCTV evidence exposed police discrepancies in the arrest timeline. The court criticised plainclothes arrests and the lack of an FIR, demanding a detailed investigation report by Friday. The case highlights alleged politically motivated arrests targeting YSRCP supporters.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday, 24 September, condemned the illegal arrest of YSRCP social media activist K Savindra Reddy and ordered his immediate release.
During the hearing, the Tadepalli police came under scrutiny for misleading the High Court. In their remand report, the police stated that Reddy was arrested at 7 pm on Monday However, his lawyer submitted CCTV footage showing he was taken into custody at 4:30 pm, contradicting the police version.
The High Court questioned the police about the video-evidence and the overall handling of the case. The court directed authorities to submit a full investigation report, including CCTV evidence, detailing exactly where and when the arrest occurred. The report was ordered to be submitted by Friday. The court also reiterated that Reddy must be released immediately.
The court expressed anger at the manner of the arrest. Despite Supreme Court guidelines, the police did not go in uniform. It also noted that although Reddy’s wife had filed a complaint, no FIR was registered; the complaint was merely recorded as a general diary (GD) entry.
During proceedings, the judge asked Reddy to recount what happened. He said that the police forcibly took him away in front of his wife and that he knew nothing about the ganja smuggling case allegations now being made against him.
The arrest took place on Monday. He was whisked away by plainclothes officers in Paturu village, Tadepalli mandal, Guntur district. His wife, Lakshmi Prasanna, was told that he would be questioned briefly and then released. When he was taken away, her frantic search led nowhere. At the Tadepalli police station, she was told the police had no information on his custody.
Lakshmi Prasanna lodged a formal complaint, accusing unidentified individuals posing as officers of kidnapping her husband. Shockingly, no FIR was issued despite the gravity of the allegation.
She then approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday morning with a habeas corpus petition, seeking Reddy’s immediate production and protection.
The High Court, hearing the matter urgently on Tuesday evening, issued a strict directive: produce Savindra Reddy before the bench by Wednesday and do not present him in any lower magistrate court.
The court remarked: “Do we have to remain silent even when the police take away people at will? We cannot ignore such actions.” It also criticised the police for recording a GD entry instead of filing an FIR on the complaint of Suvindra Reddy’s wife.
The court stressed that Reddy must remain in Prathipadu police custody overnight, with his lawyer present to ensure transparency. The government initially claimed, “We did not take Savindra Reddy into custody,” which the court dismissed as evasive and misleading.
In a dramatic turn, the police remanded Reddy as the third accused in a ganja smuggling case and produced him before the Sixth Additional Magistrate Court in Guntur on Tuesday evening.
The magistrate, pointing out the procedural irregularity, ordered his transfer back to Prathipadu custody under supervision until his High Court appearance.
Since the TDP returned to power in June 2024, the party has alleged over 100 “politically motivated” arrests of its workers, often linked to social media posts against Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s administration.
Similar High Court interventions occurred in the case of YSRCP activist Avuthu Sridhar Reddy, who was released in March 2025 for procedural violations.
In November 2024, the court sought reports on the detention of six YSRCP social media activists, highlighting a rising trend of FIRs that even drew Supreme Court protection for party leaders.
YSRCP spokesperson Putta Siva Sankar Reddy, speaking to media in Vijayawada, linked the incident to vendetta politics.
“The government is weaponising the police against dissenters. Savindra Reddy’s only ‘crime’ is supporting Jagan Anna. We demand an independent probe,” he said.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
