Prabhakar Reddy, Asmith Reddy arrested again, 5 cases booked

The joy of Tadipatri former MLA J C Prabhakar Reddy and his son Asmith Reddy was short-lived. A day after the father-son duo were released from judicial remand after the district court granted bail, the police have arrested them again.

Earlier in the day, the police had booked five cases against J C Prabhakar Reddy and his son Asmith Reddy. Cases were booked against Prabhkar Reddy under IPC section 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty), Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 for allegedly using abusive language against the police, 506, 189. The police booked Prabhakar Reddy under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Disaster Management Act and Epidemic Diseases Act for violating Covid-19 regulations.

The police claimed that Prabhakar Reddy and his followers took out a massive rally soon after he was released from the central prison on Thursday after the Anantapur district court granted them bail on Wednesday. The father-son duo were arrested for alleged conversion of BS III into BS-IV vehicles by forging documents. On Thursday, the duo were released on bail.

A number of supporters and TDP leaders gathered outside the prison to welcome them. The father-son duo were going from Kadapa to Tadipatri accompanied by a large number of their followers. Trouble broke out when circle inspector (CI) Devendra Kumar stopped their vehicles at Sajjaladinne area.

Prabhakar Reddy allegedly entered into a heated argument with the CI who is a Dalit. A case under IPC section 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty) was registered against the former MLA. He was also booked under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 for allegedly using abusive language against the police.

Booking Prabhakar Reddy for allegedly violating Covid-19 regulations is a classic case of political vendetta as no case was booked against several YSRCP leaders who had blatantly violated the regulations by taking out rallies and organising large gatherings.

It may be noted that YSRCP MLA Madhusudhan Reddy took out a massive tractor rally to distribute rice to the people in Srikalahasti in violation of Covid-19 regulations, but no case was booked against him. The rally saw a large turnout of the YSRCP MLA’s supporters, a posse of police personnel on bandobast duties, revenue and ward secretariat staff in full attendance.

Another ruling party MLA Kiliveti Sanjeevaiah also led a rally with more than two dozen tractors to distribute the essentials among people in 59 villages, but no case was booked against him.

Similarly, Palamaner MLA Venkat Reddy inaugurated a bridge with about 150 people in his constituency in Chittoor district where the highest number of coronavirus cases have been reported. He did not maintain social distancing. No case was booked against Nagari YSRCP MLA Roja for participating in a borewell inauguration programme with her followers.