The Tirupati Urban police swung into action and arrested eleven persons for trespassing into a timber and saw mill and attacking its owner, in a bid to encroach upon the land.
According to the case, Ramu and Sivaprasad, owners of the property on Renigunta Road since 1975, were taken aback when a group of 15 persons led by Yandapalli Ramesh Reddy allegedly barged into their compound and threatened them with dire consequences if they did not vacate the premises.
Mr. Ramesh Reddy insisted that he had entered into an agreement with T. Guravaiah, T. Timmarusu and T. Brahmanandam, who had a running feud and court case over the property with Ramu and Sivaprasad. After the victims lodged a complaint with the Alipiri police, who filed a case under Cr. No. 482/2020 under various sections including IPC and Land Grabbing Act, a team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (East division) T. Muralikrishna arrested the 11 persons near the RTO Office on Karakambadi Road on Monday.
Superintendent of Police Avula Ramesh Reddy, who produced the accused before the media here on Tuesday, warned that any violation of law and order in the city would be dealt with in a tough manner and assured the denizens that the police would stand guard to their properties.
The incident caused tremors in the city, with similar incidents reported across Tirupati Urban and Rural mandals in a week’s time, linking several names associated with the ruling party. “Though the accused mentioned the name of notorious smuggler K. Gangi Reddy during the trespass, there is no mention whatsoever in the complaint or the FIR,” Mr. Ramesh Reddy maintained, adding that the department would not show any mercy on political bigwigs. The Superintendent formed a team led by DSP Mr. Muralikrishna to probe similar complaints.
The arrested included Y. Ramesh Reddy, Syed Seeni Mahammad, Shaik Imran, Borra Gnanaprakash, Ariketi Venkata Nagaprasanna, Samadhula Subramanyam, Kannika Sankar, Subrahmanyam Bharani, Pasupuleti Mahesh, Manyam Manohar and Rangamareddy Iragamreddy. An auto-rickshaw used by them to reach the timber depot was also seized.