In a major setback to Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, the police showed his party leader as the main accused in the attack on forest staff by Srisailam TDP MLA Budda Rajasekhar Reddy. While, Jana Sena leader Ashok Raut was shown as A1, MLA Rajasekhar Reddy was put as A2. Moreover, the police filed the case with simple bailable sections, so as to dilute the nature of crime.
It may be recalled that Srisailam TDP MLA Budda Rajasekhar Reddy along with his followers were accused of detaining forest personnel in the Srisailam forests at midnight and attacking them by driving them around in cars. The forest personnel also held a press meet and exaggerated the same matter and also released evidence.
Though the police were lenient towards the MLA initially, they were forced to act after Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, who is also the forest minister, expressed his anger against the MLA and directed to registered a case. This was forced even Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and minister Nara Lokesh to take it seriously at the cabinet meeting held on Thursday.
However, in this matter, the police registered a case by naming only TDP MLA Budda Rajasekhar Reddy as A2 and Jana Sena leader Ashok Raut as A1. This has evoked anger among Jana Sena ranks, who are alleging that this was a plot to protect the TDP MLA from the seriousness of his crime. Moreover, they are taking it seriously as only bailable cases have been filed against both of them, thus diluting the entire case.
Pawan Kalyan interfered in this matter as forest minister, after the forest department staff became angry towards the MLA’s brutal nature and complained to him. Though initially the case has created scare among political circles as both Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister became angry towards MLA’s behaviour, with the register of a case diluting the seriousness of the offence, the police seems to be bow-down to political pressures.
Many wonder, how can they register such a case making him as A1, although there are scenes of MLA Budda Rajasekhar Reddy being attacked in the CCTV footage? There is also criticism over filing a case against both of them to get bail. This case is likely to ignite fuel among TDP and Jana Sena ranks in coming days.
