AP Police arrest Pinnelli near Sangareddy, booked under 10 sections, could be jailed for seven years

AMARAVATI: Andhra Pradesh police have arrested Macherla YSRCP MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy from a factory godown in Isnapur near Sangareddy in Telangana on Wednesday. The MLA is A1 in the EVM smashing case at the Palvai Gate polling booth in Macherla on May 13.

Earlier, Andhra Pradesh police issued a lookout notice for Ramakrishna Reddy in the EVM smashing case. The police have booked cases under sections of IPC 143, 147, 448, 427, 353, 452, 120 B, and 131, 135 sections of the Representation of the People’s Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act (PDPP) and alerted all airports as they suspected that the MLA who was resisting arrest might leave the country. A team has left for Hyderabad to search for the MLA whose car was reportedly found near Sangareddy.

“There were nine incidents of EVM damages in Andhra Pradesh on the day of polling. Out of that, seven incidents occurred in Macherla alone. We have booked Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy under 10 sections. Special teams were pressed into action to arrest him. If found guilty he could go to jail for ten years,” Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena told media on Wednesday.

TDP leaders remanded in judicial custody

Meanwhile, a local court remanded four Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders in judicial custody in connection with the EVM damaging case at polling booths 203, 204, 205, and 206 of Tumrakota. Venkata Sateesh, Kotaiah, Saidulu, and Mahesh were remanded to 14 days of judicial custody. The Palnadu police have booked cases against 50 TDP leaders but many of them have absconded.

Palnadu police also sounded alert all over the district fearing retaliatory attacks between political rivals following the arrest of Macherla MLA. Section 144 was also in force and additional forces were summoned to man the sensitive areas of the district