The Palnadu police arrested him at Narasaraopet and took him to the office of the Superintendent of Police, after which he will be moved to Macherla court.
Published Jun 26, 2024 | 7:50 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 26, 2024 | 7:50 PM
Former YSRCP MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy (Facebook)
Former YSRCP MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy, who was caught on camera damaging an EVM at Palvai Gate polling station in the Macherla assembly constituency on 13 May, was arrested on Wednesday.
The Palnadu police arrested him at Narasaraopet and took him to the office of the Superintendent of Police, after which he will be moved to Macherla court.
Reddy’s arrest came after the High Court rejected his anticipatory bail petitions in the case involving the destruction of EVMs and assaulting a TDP polling agent who questioned him for smashing the EVM.
He had been booked under IPC Sections 147, 148, 324 and 307 with Section 149 and Section 131 (2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
#AndhraPradesh: Videos of @YSRCParty MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy destroying EVMs at Palvai Gate Polling Center (202), Rentachintala Mandal, Macherla Constituency go viral. @JaiTDP alleges the video is from May 13. Clarification from the MLA and officials awaited. pic.twitter.com/lzhkZN5f6x
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) May 21, 2024
Palnadu district Superintendent of Police (SP) Mallika Garg said that Reddy has been arrested in the case pertaining to the attack on the TDP polling agent, and that his arrest will also be recorded with respect to the EVM smashing case.
On polling day May 13, former Macherla MLA barged into polling station number 202 in the constituency and smashed an EVM on the floor and also allegedly engaged in an altercation with “adversaries” at the polling station.
When the TDP agent questioned Reddy, he allegedly threatened him and later instigated his followers against him. They allegedly attacked the agent with sticks, rods and knives brought in their vehicles.
The entire act was caught on a web camera installed by the Election Commission (EC), leading to his identification with footage and documentary evidence. The CCTV footage was widely shared on social media. Reddy was also “absconding” for a few days.
Following the incident, the EC had directed Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Harish Kumar Gupta to take stringent criminal against the MLA, to make an example out of them so that “nobody in the future dares to take any such action to interfere into the peaceful conduct of polls”.
It is to be noted that hours after the video clip of the MLA vandalising the EVM inside polling booth 202 at Palavi Gate, Macherla, went viral, the EC directed the police to include his name as the prime accused.
According to the EC, EVMs were damaged at seven polling stations in Macherla constituency alone on the polling day.
“In Macherla Assembly Constituency, EVMs were damaged in seven polling stations including the PS no (polling station number) 202 where this incident of damage of EVM by the sitting MLA P Ramakrishna Reddy was recorded in the web camera,” said a statement from Meena’s office.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mukesh Kumar Meena said that Reddy was named as accused number one (A1) in the case registered after verifying the footage under 10 stringent sections.
The poll panel questioned local election authorities as to why YSRCP Macherla assembly candidate was not immediately arrested.
“EC has said that such incidents are very shameful… the intention is to conduct free, fair and peaceful elections, but when the candidate (Reddy) himself indulges in such an act (then) it is a very serious matter,” added Meena.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court on 23 May, ordered the police not to take any action against Reddy until 5 June, granting him interim protection from arrest for some days, considering various reasons, including his status of being an assembly election candidate.
The high court, also directed Reddy not to influence the investigation or the witnesses. Reddy lost the Macherla constituency to TDP’s J Brahmananda Reddy in the election.
The Supreme Court on 3 June, barred the former MLA from entering the vote counting station of the Macherla Assembly constituency.
YSRCP backed the former Macherla MLA, blaming the opposition for running a “characters assassination” campaign against him. YSRCP MLA of Gurazala, Kasu Mahesh Reddy had earlier questioned the fairness of EC for including Reddy’s name based on the “short” video alone.
Referring to the instances of EVM vandalism in other places, Kasu said, “EC had mentioned similar instances of EVM vandalism in six to seven places, “yet those videos have not surfaced.”
He added, “In the same Palvai Gate booth, our booth agents were attacked and pulled outside. It was Ramakrishna Reddy who consoled them.” “Why aren’t the videos of our agents being beaten shown? ” Kasu questioned.
Demanding the whole video of two hours before the incident, Kasu claimed, “There was rigging in Macherla and across the state, which YSRCP has been complaining about to the ECI.”
Kasu further questioned the ECI, as to why the instances and complaints highlighted by YSRCP were not being addressed.
“As contesting candidates, both YSRCP and TDP should have their complaints addressed by the ECI to ensure free and fair elections,” he added
Andhra Pradesh witnessed poll-related violence at several places in the districts of Palnadu, Tirupati and Anantapur. All 25 of Andhra Pradesh’s Lok Sabha constituencies and 175 Assembly seats went to polls on 13 May.
(Edited by Shauqueen Mizaj, with PTI inputs)
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