TIRUPATI: TDP leader and former minister Ponguru Narayana, who is also the head of Narayana Educational Institutions, has been arrested by the Andhra Pradesh Police in Hyderabad. The police reached his residence in Kondapur and detained him in the wee hours of Tuesday.
Mr. Narayana was detained in connection with the SSC Class 10 exam paper leak at Narayana School in Tirupati owned by the ex-minister. Narayana school’s Vice Principal -Giridhar Reddy and six others including private and government school staff were arrested in connection with the case.
Though the former minister’s family members acknowledged his arrest, they informed that the police did not disclose the reason for arrest. Sources said that the TDP leader is being shifted to Andhra Pradesh in his own vehicle by a special police team, and he is expected to be produced before the court later in the day.
Meanwhile, reports also claim that Mr. Narayana was arrested for his involvement in Amaravati’s Capital Region Development Authority affairs. However, the recent statement of chief minister Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy that TDP leaders and the educational institutes owned by them are responsible for question paper leakage, hints that the arrest was made in connection with the case.
It may be recalled that following a complaint lodged by the Chittoor District Education Officer, the Chittoor I town police busted the gang of corporate schools and arrested seven persons including Narayana School Vice-Principal Giridhar Reddy, who were indulging in malpractices in the SSC board exams. The irregularities were part of the attempt to get all the students appearing for the board examinations from their schools get passed.
