Representative image showing handcuffs.
Credit: iStock Photo
Narasaraopeta, Andhra Pradesh: Andhra Pradesh Police on Wednesday arrested YSRCP leader P Ramakrishna Reddy after the high court dismissed his anticipatory bail plea in a case over his alleged attack on a TDP polling agent who questioned him for smashing an EVM.
On polling day May 13, former Macherla MLA Ramakrishna Reddy 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 act of EVM smashing was caught on a web camera installed by the Election Commission, leading to Reddy's identification with footage and documentary evidence.
Following this, he was “absconding” for a few days. The Andhra Pradesh High Court had granted him interim protection from arrest for some days, considering various reasons, including his status of being an assembly election candidate.
Ramakrishna Reddy lost the Macherla constituency to TDP’s J Brahmananda Reddy in the election. The high court on Wednesday rejected his anticipatory bail pertaining to the TDP agent attack case. He had been booked under IPC Sections 147, 148, 324 and 307 read with Section 149 and Section 131 (2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Palnadu district Superintendent of Police (SP) Mallika Garg told PTI 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.