YSRCP leader arrested in TDP office attack case

Hyderabad, Sep 5 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Police on Thursday arrested former MP and YSR Congress Party leader Nandigam Suresh in connection with the attack on the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) office in Andhra Pradesh in 2021.

A police team from Andhra Pradesh arrested Suresh in Hyderabad and shifted him to Mangalagiri in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, where a case was registered against him for the attack on the TDP office.

The YSRCP leader was arrested a day after the Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed the anticipatory bail petitions filed by him and other leaders.

After the High Court order, police had launched a search for Suresh. Police had gone to his house at Uddandarayunipalem village in Guntur district but he was not found there.

On receiving information about Suresh's presence in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Police reached here and arrested him.

The High Court had Wednesday dismissed anticipatory bail petitions of Suresh and other YSRCP leaders in the case related to the attack on TDP headquarters at Mangalagiri. The court also dismissed their petitions, seeking suspension of the orders to enable them to approach the Supreme Court for relief.

YSRC MLCs Lella Appireddy and Talasila Raghuram, and party leader Devineni Avinash are among those named in the TDP office attack case. With the High Court denying them anticipatory bail, police have formed special teams to arrest them.

The High Court also dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of former minister Jogi Ramesh and his followers involved in the case related to the attack on the residence of TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu when he was the Opposition leader.

After TDP along with its allies Jana Sena and BJP came to power in June, police launched fresh probe in both cases.

A large number of supporters of YSRCP attacked the TDP office on October 19, 2021, after TDP spokesperson Kommareddy Pattabhi Ram had made some objectionable comments against the then Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The YSRCP supporters had barged into the TDP office and ransacked the premises damaging furniture and breaking window panes. The TDP leaders had alleged that the attackers seen armed with sticks and even hammers damaged the cars parked outside the office.

The police also launched a fresh probe into the attack on TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu's residence in Amaravati in September 2021 in which then MLA Jogi Ramesh allegedly took part.