Chikoti booked for taking out rally in Gajwel

Hyderabad: Police have booked casino organiser Chikoti Praveen for taking out a rally without permission in Gajwel town on Tuesday amid a tense situation following a clash between two groups. The high-profile gambler visited the town without police permission and took out a rally. He, along with others, went to the statue of Shivaji and garlanded it, and poured milk on it.

The town witnessed a clash between two groups after a person allegedly urinated near the statue on Monday night. There was more tension on Tuesday when during the shutdown called by some groups, protestors pelted stones at a place of worship.

BJP MLA M Raghunandan Rao was detained in Hyderabad on Wednesday when he was going to Gajwel, which is also the Assembly constituency of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Siddipet Police Commissioner N Swetha said on Wednesday that eight cases have been booked and 11 people were arrested in connection with the incidents that took place during the last two days.