Chandramukhi Muvvala's case shrouded in mystery

Hyderabad: Bahujan Left Front candidate Chandramukhi, a transgender who returned on Wednesday night after being reported missing on Tuesday, told the High Court that masked men had threatened her and told her to withdraw from the election and abducted her. But she did not say this in her deposition in court.

Ms Chandramukhi came to Banjara Hills police station late Wednesday night. 

She had gone missing on Tuesday morning and the trans community had filed a habeas corpus writ petition with the High Court on Wednesday afternoon.

She came before the court on Thursday, where she was asked about her whereabouts, said DCP, Commissioner’s Task Force, P. Radhakrishna Rao. He said she had not shared the details about her disappearance at the police station.

The police accessed CCTV footage of Chandramukhi’s residence, which showed her leaving the house alone on Tuesday morning. However, she said in court that men wearing masks to cover their faces sedated her and pushed her into a car and took her to Vijayawada. 

When asked if she knows the men who she said abducted her, she said she could identify one of them if she saw him again. However, in her written statement to the court, she said she had gone voluntarily and did not mention the abduction. 

When asked about Chandramukhi trying to withdraw from the election due to monetary reasons, police officials said that they did not have any evidence about it. They said that the closed circuit cameras had show her leaving her house alone and that the disappearing act looked like a publicity gimmick, as the case was noted and taken up by the national and international media. 

Chandramukhi reportedly went missing from 8.25 am on Tuesday. A missing person’s complaint was filed, following which an FIR was registered at the Banjara Hills police station. The police formed a special team of 15 to 20 officers to trace her, said ACP Banjara Hills, K Srinivasa Rao. 

“Her phone was traced in the vicinity of Erramanzil Colony, which is about two or three kilometres from her residence in Banjara Hills, but is now not reachable as is it probably switched off. 

She was noticed missing since 8.25 am and the door of her house was locked from outside,” said Inspector R. Govinda Reddy of the Banjara Hills police.

Chandramukhi is contesting from Goshamahal on a Bahujan Left Front (BLF) ticket. She will be taking on bigwigs such as the BJP’s Raja Singh and Congress’ Mukesh Goud.