Twenty-one persons, including Bharatiya Janata Party State chief Bandi Sanjay, Dubbak legislator Raghunandan Rao and the party’s district chief Bobba Bhagya Reddy, were named as accused in Sunday’s rioting and violence at Gurrambodu Tanda.
First accused Bhagya Reddy, second accused Velangi Raju and four others were arrested on Monday and produced before an in-charge magistrate at Kodad. They were remanded in judicial custody.
Mr. Sanjay and Mr. Rao are accused 20 and 21, respectively.
According to the complainant, Kodad sub-inspector S. Kranthi Kumar, one of the injured police officers, some 100 persons along with Mr. Sanjay proceeded towards the iron shed on the disputed land on Survey No. 540 at Gurrambodu Tanda, near the meeting place of party’s Girijana Bharosa Yatra.
Soon they attempted to vandalise the property with sticks and iron rods and he along with other staff had intervened to prevent it, but immediately stone-pelting followed, the officer noted.
In the situation, Kodad Deputy Superintendent of Police A. Raghu, Huzurnagar Inspector S. Raghava Rao, Palakeedu sub-inspector K. Naresh and two other officers suffered bleeding injuries. They were treated at the Huzurnagar Area Hospital.
Mattampally police officials, who suffered “blunt and invisible injuries”, speaking to The Hindu , said the six arrested and remanded persons played the main role, when the police staff were on bandobust duty at the iron shed, owned by a private company.
“At around 5.30 p.m., they came armed and rushing to destroy the shed, and when nearly a dozen of us resisted they picked up stones and started to pelt. It is our job to safeguard any property, whether public or private property,” Mattampally sub-inspector said.
The officer added: “There were more non-locals — residents of neighbouring mandals and those from Hyderabad — than the aggrieved tribals.”
All the 21 accused were booked for rioting and causing hurt to public servants in the discharge of duty.
