KTR named in police remand report over Vikarabad collector attack in T'gana

Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) Working President and MLA Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao (KTR) has been named by the police in the remand report in connection with the violent assault of Vikarabad district collector and other revenue officials at Lagcherla village of Dudyal Mandal in Vikarabad district.

This comes in the wake of the arrest of BRS MLA Patnam Narender Reddy on Wednesday morning in connection with the attack on Vikarabad collector.

According to the police, Patnam Narender Reddy admitted to his role in a criminal conspiracy designed to undermine the Congress government and to further his own political interests.

The remand report into the Vikarabad collector attack incident which took place on November 11, states that Patnam Narender Reddy confessed to have committed this offence with criminal conspiracy. It further states that he was committed this as per the directions of BRS prominent leader i.e., KTR and others.

As per the remand report, "In pursuance to the confession of the accused person(s) and its fresh revelation, the accused Patnam Narender Reddy was apprehended on 13-11-2024 at 07:02 hours at his house at Film Nagar at Hyderabad and brought to camp at CI office at Parigi at 0930 hours."

"On tactful interrogation he confessed to have committed this offence with criminal conspiracy by abetting the accused persons in order to destabilize/deteriorate the Govt. and also to gain political mileage and defame the government of Telangana as per the directions of their party prominent leader i.e., KTR and others," it further said.

Telangana Minister Ponnam Prabhakar condemned the attack on collector in Vikarabad, and said, "If people don't like government's decision, they can protest, we don't stop people from protesting. An IAS officer was attacked. It is a bad thing. I want to ask KTR, what is your party's stand? Do you support the attack on the officer? We will protect the officers and strict action will be taken."

The incident took place after a group of villagers and farmers in Lagcherla village, Dudyal Mandal, Vikarabad district, hurled stones and damaged the vehicles of the District Collector.

According to police, stones were pelted on the Vikarabad Collector's vehicle by the villagers giving slogans 'Go back'. Another RDO rank officer from Kodangal was also beaten up by the villagers.

Vikarabad Additional Superintendent of Police (SP) said there were some tensions among the villagers on the Collector's visit.

"The Collector visited the place to take the public opinion for the Pharma City land acquisition. His visit was unexpected and unplanned," said the SP.

Patnam Narender Reddy was detained on Wednesday in connection with an attack on district officials in Telangana's Vikarabad district during a public hearing on land acquisition, police reported.

Several people have been arrested for allegedly assaulting authorities after some villagers in Lagacharla village protested against the proposed acquisition of their lands for pharmaceutical companies.