Former TDP minister sent to Rajahmundry Central Jail

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and former Andhra Pradesh minister Kollu Ravindra on Saturday was sent to 14-day judicial remand.

Accused in the murder of Yuvajana Sramika Ryuthi Congress Party (YSRCP) leader M Bhaskar Rao, Kollu Ravindra was shifted to Rajahmundry Central Jail.

Bhaskar Rao, former Machilipatnam market yard chairman, was a close associate of transport minister Perni Venkataramaiah. On June 29, Bhaskar Rao was stabbed to death by four unidentified persons in broad daylight in the fish market in Machilipatnam.

On Friday, Kollu Ravindra was arrested in Tuni in East Godavari district when he was heading towards Visakhapatnam. A police team from Krishna district stopped the TDP leader and arrested him. He was produced before a court on Saturday.

Immediately after the arrest of Kollu Ravindra, TDP president and former chief minister had called up his family members to express that the TDP will stand behind them. Naidu also alleged that the Jagan Mohan Reddy government was targeting TDP leaders, especially backward classes leaders including Atchannaidu, Ayyanna Patrudu and now Kollu Ravindra. He slammed the YSRCP for launching a vindictive campaign against the backward class leaders of the TDP by foisting false cases.

“False case was filed against Atchannaidu. Nirbhaya case was filed against Ayyanna Pathrudu. SC/ST atrocities case was filed against Yanamala Ramakrishnudu. Beeda Ravichandra was attacked on the floor of Legislative Council by the YSRCP leaddrs. Now, Kollu Ravindra was arrested by implicating him the murder case,” Naidu lashed out. Naidu said Kollu Ravindra was arrested without even preliminary investigation. The one-year rule is worse than the dark days of Emergency. “Never before were leaders booked in so many wrongful cases or the opposition targeted to this extent until now. It was unprecedented that so many leaders are being put in jail like this,” he had said.