Police arrest TDP leader BTech Ravi at Chennai airport in 2018 stone-pelting case 

KADAPA: Kadapa police arrested TDP MLC Maramreddy Ravindranath Reddy alias BTech Ravi at Chennai airport on Sunday. The TDP leader was arrested on the runway, when he was deboarding the flight. In a video message, Ravi condemned his arrest and said he was mistreated by the police. 

“I came to Chennai from Bengaluru on personal work, but was arrested by Kadapa police like I was some international criminal,” he said. 

The TDP leader said he was not even explained why he was being arrested and if it was related to ‘Chalo Pulivendula’ agitation, they could have arrested him in Pulivendula itself, as they had plenty of time. He said he is not afraid of going to jail and claimed that he did not do any wrong. 

Describing it as vindictive politics of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, he said his arrest was for protesting against the murder of a Dalit woman in Pulivendula Constituency, represented by the Chief Minister himself. He also found fault with cases registered under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and said the Act is being misused.  

Meanwhile, Kadapa SP KKN Anburajan said that the MLC was arrested for his involvement in clashes between YSRC and TDP at Pulivendula in 2018 and it has nothing to do with the murder of a woman in Lingala, as being reported.

On January 4, 2018, TDP leaders and YSRC leaders took out rallies and counter rallies in Pulivendula following TDP leaders SV Satish Kumar Reddy and BTech Ravi daring YSRC leaders for a debate on development of Pulivendula during YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s regime. TDP leaders claimed that no development had taken place.

On that day, in order to prevent unrest, police made several house arrests of leaders from both the sides. However, a few leaders from both parties confronted each other and resorted to stone pelting in which Pulivendula SI Chiranjeevi was injured. Both sides were dispersed by the police. 

​Cases were registered against 190 from YSRC and 63 people from TDP and later most of the people secured bail. Though 50 people from TDP secured bail, BTech Ravi, one of the accused, did not secure bail despite several reminders.