TDP leader injured during police raid in Chittoor

Amaravati, June 24 : A Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader was injured during police action against a party worker who had allegedly concealed drugs at his house in Chittoor town in Andhra Pradesh. Former mayor Katari Hemalatha suffered minor injury when she was allegedly hit by a police vehicle as she was trying to resist police's attempt to arrest her follower Purna.

There was high drama at the residence of Purna in Santhapeta area when police reached there around midnight to conduct search, saying he has concealed ganja at his house. Purna denied this and alleged that he was being implicated.

On receipt of the information of police raid, Hemalata along with her supporters reached there and staged a protest. She tried to stop police from carrying Purna. As the police vehicle tried to speed off, it ran over Hemalata's feet resulting in minor fracture. The incident triggered strong protest by former mayor's supporters. She was admitted to a hospital.

Hemalata alleged that the police was trying to implicate Purna in a false case. She said the police conducted the raid hours after she wrote to a senior police official about some unknown persons threatening Prasanna, who is a witness in the murder of her in-laws Katari Anuradha and Mohan.

Anuradha, then mayor, and her husband were shot dead in her office in 2015. Within hours of the complaint, police reached the house of Purna, who is brother of Prasanna. They alleged that ganja was planted at their house to frame them.

Police, however, said ganja was recovered from Purna's house. It denied the allegations made by the TDP leaders. Meanwhile, TDP state president K. Atchannaidu condemned the police action against Hemalata and her supporters. He said the ruling YSRCP was targeting TDP leaders for questioning its misdeeds.