Ravela Susheel, son of Andhra Pradesh Social Welfare Minister Ravela Kishore Kumar Babu, was arrested by the Banjara Hills police early on Sunday on charges of outraging modesty of a woman. His driver M. Ramesh was also arrested along with Susheel.
The police invoked Section 354 (outraging modesty of woman) 354D (stalking) and 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of Indian Penal Code (Nirbhaya Act) against Susheel and Ramesh.
“Initially, a case under Section 509 was registered against one Appa Rao and another person. On investigation, we gathered more evidence and added two more Sections 354 and 354 D. On enquiry, we came to know that the driver’s name is Ramesh and not Appa Rao and the occupant in the car was Susheel,” DCP (West) A. Venkateshwara Rao told press persons on Sunday.
Explaining the chronology of incidents, Mr. Venkateshwara Rao said that at around 4 p.m, some persons called up the Banjara Hills police station and informed about some trouble on Road No.13. “A blue colts team went to the spot and found one person injured. The police took him in his car to a private hospital and admitted him. He was later, identified as Ramesh. We came to know that Susheel escaped from the place in the melee,” he said.
At around 5 p.m., a woman who identified herself as a school teacher lodged a complaint with the police alleging that a person named Appa Rao and another man teased her and tried to pull her into a car. She said that the other person had a tattoo mark on his hand. “Based on a complaint a case was registered and investigation is going on,” the official explained.
Another complaint was made by Ramesh against a group of persons who allegedly thrashed him. Susheel and Ramesh were reportedly thrashed by a group of persons after they allegedly stalked and misbehaved with the woman. Following the complaint, the police registered a case under Section 324 (hurt) against unknown persons.
Mr. Venkateshwara Rao said that the police was acting in a professional way. “We are going as per the content of the complaint. Our teams are checking the footage recorded by closed circuit cameras installed on the stretch to ascertain the facts,” he said.
According to sources, Susheel along with his advocate came to the police station around 1.30 a.m and surrendered. Efforts to obtain bail failed.
Susheel on Saturday clarified through a social media post that he spotted a puppy on the road and got down from the car to pick it up but the woman without any reason started shouting and abusing him.
Agency inputs:
“The crowd joined hands with the unknown people whose only intention was political vengeance,” Susheel said.
However, the CCTV footage on some news channels show the car slowing down near the burqa-clad woman. Perturbed by this the woman started walking faster but the car continued following her.
