Two Arrested for Assault on TD Party Members During Bicycle Rally in Punganur

Tirupati: The Chittoor district police on Sunday arrested two persons for attacking Telugu Desam (TD) party members. On October 20, while TD supporters were holding a bicycle rally in Punganur to protest the arrest of the former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and call for his immediate release from prison, an assault occurred.

The accused were identified as Surathoti Suresh, 40 and Nirugatti Sivappa, 44, residents of Punganur. It is said that Suresh has a history of criminal activities, including being listed as a rowdy-sheeter, and he has faced numerous accusations in the past.

The incident happened last Friday when TD supporters were traveling to Kuppam as part of their 20-day cycle yatra, led by Ramakrishna, a former Sarpanch from the Srikakulam District, and four other individuals.

Reporters were confronted when the TD supporters arrived at Sugalimitta in Punganur, according to Chittoor Superintendent of Police (SP), Y. Rishanth Reddy. They came into three Punganur residents there who were allegedly under the influence of alcohol. The three people and the cycle yatra participants got into a fight.

"While Vinay recorded video of the fight, Suresh and Sivappa are accused of attacking and threatening the TD supporters. However, neither the cycle yatra participants nor any other Punganur area party leaders at the time made a formal complaint against the defendant,” the SP said.

But when the footage of the brawl appeared on social media the next day, things took a dramatic turn. The Punganur police opened an investigation into the situation in reaction to the footage. Two of the suspects, Suresh and Sivappa, were swiftly taken into custody in Palamaner on Sunday morning after they were informed, according to the SP.