Jana Sena MLA held for attack on Razole PS

Amalapuram: It was a day of high drama on Tuesday following the alleged attack on the Razole police station on Sunday.

The police had charged Jana Sena MLA Rapaka Varaprasad with misbehaving and abusing cops on duty during the protest held by him and his supporters on Sunday. The police also charged them with damaging property of the police station.

Narrating the sequence of events, the police said some people were taken into custody in a gambling case on Sunday. The MLA had gone to the police station and wanted the sub-inspector to release a person suffering from kidney ailment.

As the police did not heed to his demand, the MLA and his followers entered into an argument with the sub-inspector and staged a dharna.

A case under various IPC sections, including preventing a public servant from discharging his duties, was registered against them.

The police issued a warrant against him claiming that he was not traceable and launched a hunt for him. But on Tuesday, the MLA went to the police station and surrendered. He was subsequently arrested, the police said.

Condemning the arrest, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan blamed the police for the flare-up. He said the police was making a mountain out of a molehill in this case.

He also alleged that the police were applying different yardsticks for ruling and Opposition legislators. He said the police had turned a blind eye to the YSRCP MLA, who attacked a journalist and tried to kidnap him.

While the police was taking him to the Munsif Magistrates Court, the MLA sat on dharna in front of the police station and the police had tough time shifting him to a vehicle as a large number of supporters had reached the police station and were protesting against the arrest of the MLA.

As the police produced the MLA before the Razole Munsif Magistrate and sought remand, the magistrate said the Munsif Court does not have the authority to examine people's representatives of MLA level and that has to be done by a Special Court in Vijayawada and refused to order remand.

He however said that if the police wanted they can give station bail to the MLA. Subsequently, the police brought the MLA back to the police station and gave him bail.