Ayyanna Arrested at Vizag Airport, Freed

VISHAKHAPATNAM: Krishna district police on Friday morning took into custody former minister and Telugu Desam politburo member Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu at the Visakhapatnam Airport soon after the former minister arrived from Delhi by an Air India flight at 10:30 am.

While taking him to Vijayawada, Krishna district police issued him a notice under section 41(A). Subsequently, the police released him at Vempadu toll gate near Yelamanchili in Anakapalle district.

Thereafter, Ayyanna Patrudu reached his home in Narsipatnam safely.

According to Visakhapatnam airport police, Krishna district police picked up Patrudu the moment he came out of the airport. They arrested the opposition leader for making “inappropriate comments” against Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and other ministers at a public meeting held last week at Gannavaram when TD leader Nara Lokesh’s Yuvagalam padayatra reached there.

Taking objection, former minister Perni Nani filed a complaint against Ayyanna Patrudu. Krishna district police then registered a case against Patrudu under sections 153 (A), 354 A1 (4), 504, 505 (2).

Following up on it, police arrested Ayyanna Patrudu when he arrived at Gannavaram airport from Delhi. Fearing his arrest, the former minister had applied for an anticipatory bail with AP High Court. But without checking the status of his bail application, he boarded the plane in Delhi.

Soon after the arrest, TD national president Nara Chandrababu Naidu called Ayyanna Patrudu and enquired about the situation. He strongly condemned the way plainclothesmen had arrested the senior leader.

The former CM accused YSRC government of trying to throttle the voice of opposition leaders. He appreciated Ayyanna Patrudu for standing firm.

Talking to media in Narsipatnam later, Ayyanna Patrudu said Hanuman Junction inspector and 10 constables had bundled him into a vehicle and released after Kasimkota junction in Anakapalle junction after serving 41(A) notice. They also told him to appear at the Hanuman Junction police station within 10 days.

The former minister said the word of his arrest spread quickly like wildfire, which put pressure on the government, which then directed police to release him.

“I only spoke about CBI cases against Jagan Mohan Reddy at the Gannavaram public meeting. What is wrong in it,” Patrudu asked.