6 days ago
YSRCP leaders behind kidnap, torture of Dalit youth: TDP
Tirupati: The alleged abduction and assault of a Dalit youth in Tirupati has triggered a sharp political confrontation, with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and Swachh Andhra Corporation chairman Kommareddy Pattabhi Ram demanding stringent action against former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman and YSRCP state spokesperson Bhumana Karunakar Reddy and his son, Abhinay Reddy.
Addressing the media on Sunday, Pattabhi accused the Bhumana family of masterminding the incident. He claimed that Abhinay Reddy's close aides, Anil and Jagadish Reddy, abducted Pavan Kumar of Pulicherla in Chittoor district, tortured him, and later coerced him into saying that his own brother was responsible after videos of the assault emerged.
The TDP leader also levelled charges of large-scale corruption and land grabbing against Karunakar Reddy, alleging illegal occupation of nine acres in the Swarnamukhi riverbed and registration of 21 properties in the names of family members during his tenure as TTD and TUDA chairman. He remarked that Karunakar Reddy had risen from running a photocopy shop to amassing assets worth thousands of crores, questioning the source of his wealth.
Referring to the abduction of Pavan Kumar, Pattabhi said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Minister Nara Lokesh had intervened to rescue him, leading to the arrest of the main accused. He demanded that those 'at the top' face legal consequences without political protection. TDP leaders G Narasimha Yadav, Parasa Rathnam, RC Munikrishna, P Sridhar Varma and others were present.
Meanwhile, police said Pavan had gone missing after being allegedly held captive for nearly 12 hours and beaten with a police baton by Anil Kumar Reddy – YSRCP Tirupati social media in-charge – over a dispute involving a rented two-wheeler. The assault was reportedly recorded and the video sent to the youth's father, along with a demand for payment.
Pavan's mother, Sunitha, had released a video on social media pleading for her son's safe return, while Dalit organisations sought urgent police action. Four special police teams were deployed to trace him, and he was eventually found in Chittoor and shifted to SVR Ruia Government General Hospital. Doctors confirmed a fracture below his left knee, and he remains under treatment. Police have said the investigation is continuing, with more arrests likely as they probe the alleged role of those accused of planning the attack.
