Hyderabad : In a significant development, the Telangana High Court on Friday quashed two of the three FIRs (First Information Reports) registered against former Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA, Patnam Narender Reddy, in connection with the violent attack on government officials in Vikarabad district earlier this month. The ruling came after the court reserved its judgment on November 20 following a petition filed by Narender Reddy’s wife, Shurthi, challenging the validity of the FIRs.
Justice K. Lakshman, who presided over the case, agreed with the arguments put forth by the counsel for the former MLA, effectively dismissing two of the three FIRs filed by the police in relation to the violence that occurred during a public hearing in Lagacharla village on November 11. Shurthi had questioned the legality of registering three separate FIRs for the same incident.
In the wake of the incident, Narender Reddy, who represented the Kodangal constituency in the past, was arrested by the police in connection with the violent clashes. The attack involved a mob targeting Vikarabad District Collector Prateek Jain and other revenue officials during a public hearing about land acquisition for a proposed industrial park. The protesters, including several villagers, allegedly clashed with the officials, demanding that the land acquisition process be halted.
As of Thursday, November 28, a local court in Kodangal extended Narender Reddy’s judicial remand until December 11. Reddy, who remains in Cherlapally prison, was initially arrested on November 13 by the police in Hyderabad while he was on a morning walk at KBR Park. His defense counsel argued that the arrest was made in a highly inappropriate and aggressive manner, likening it to the treatment of a terrorist. The police had arrested Reddy along with 20 other individuals, all of whom were allegedly involved in the attack on the government officials.
The charges against Narender Reddy include inciting violence and provoking farmers to resist the land acquisition forcibly. The Bomraspet police had filed an FIR against him, alleging that he instigated the local farmers to violently oppose the land acquisition for the industrial park. Following this, two additional FIRs were lodged based on separate complaints filed by the Mandal Revenue Officer (MRO) and the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).
In a separate legal matter, Narender Reddy has filed another petition in the High Court seeking protection from arrest in yet another case registered at the Bomraspet Police Station. This case involves a complaint by a police constable, alleging that on October 25, Narender Reddy’s supporters, along with local farmers, had confined Congress leader Avuti Shekhar in a panchayat office and damaged his vehicle. Shekhar was reportedly blamed for the land acquisition process in the area.
The violent incident at Lagacharla has sparked a political firestorm, with the ruling Congress party accusing BRS leaders, including Narender Reddy, of instigating the violence. The opposition BRS, on the other hand, has denied any involvement and questioned the political motivations behind the charges.
The attack in Vikarabad has further added fuel to the ongoing political rivalry between the ruling Congress party, led by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s son K. Revanth Reddy, and the BRS. The incident has highlighted the ongoing tensions surrounding land acquisition projects in Telangana, with both political parties using the event to further their respective narratives.
As the legal proceedings unfold, Narender Reddy’s legal team continues to fight for his release, while the political drama surrounding the violence shows no signs of abating.