BRS MLA Kaushik Reddy Held For 'Obstructing, Threatening' Cop In Hyderabad

Hyderabad: BRS MLA P Kaushik Reddy was arrested on Thursday for allegedly obstructing, threatening and abusing a police official here, police said.

Kaushik Reddy, legislator from Huzurabad constituency, was arrested from his residence in Kondapur here, they said. While being taken by the police, the MLA claimed that he was being arrested "illegally".

Some BRS leaders, including former minister T Harish Rao, were placed under preventive custody by the police when they went to meet Reddy at his residence after they allegedly argued with the police.

BRS cadre raised slogans and held protests in different parts of the state condemning the arrest of Kaushik Reddy and the detention of Harish Rao and other party leaders.

Harish Rao and 20 other BRS leaders were then taken to the Gachibowli police station.

"All of them were subsequently released," a senior police official said.

Speaking to reporters after being let off from the Gachibowli police station, Rao alleged that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had promised "change" before the assembly elections last year but the only change he brought was illegal detentions and violations of Constitutional provisions.

Using police, the Congress government behaved in a high-handed manner against unemployed youth and STs when they protested over different issues, he alleged.

He added that Revanth Reddy is trying to muzzle voices of opposition using the police.

Meanwhile, BRS MLC K Kavitha called on Harish Rao at Gachibowli police station and Kaushik Reddy at the Banjara Hills police station.

She condemned the arrest of Kaushik Reddy and the detention of Rao and other leaders. Speaking to reporters, she alleged that a "police rule and emergency rule" of Indira Gandhi was going on in the state.

She demanded the withdrawal of the "illegal cases" against the BRS leaders and said that a day would come when people would revolt against the Congress government.

The case was registered against Reddy and others on Wednesday based on the complaint of the Banjara Hills Police Station Inspector for the offences of unlawful assembly, using force for obstructing the duties of a public servant, criminal intimidation, wrongful restraint, public nuisance and rioting.

According to police, when the Inspector was leaving the station on emergency field duty, a group led by Reddy "obstructed" the police vehicle.

Despite being told to submit their grievance to another official at the Police Station, the group instigated by Reddy not only started obstructing the Inspector’s vehicle but also started abusing the officer and threatening him, police had said.

Reddy, on Wednesday, said he went to the police station to lodge a complaint regarding his phone being tapped and seeking an investigation.

In the complaint, he expressed suspicion that his phone calls were being tapped and accused Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and an IG-level police official of being involved in the unauthorised tapping.