Hyderabad: TRS MLA Putta Madhukar from Telangana and TDP’s three MLAs Narendra Kumar, Gonuguntla Suryanarayana and Thota Trimirthulu from Andhra Pradesh feature in the list of sitting Legislature, facing serious criminal charges against themselves, including kidnapping.
Two election watchdogs, namely Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) studied the affidavits of 4,856 sitting MPs and MLAs. They found that out of the total studied, 1,024 (21 per cent) of MPs/MLAs ‘declared’ serious criminal charges against themselves.
Among these, 1,024, (6 per cent - 64) have declared charges related to kidnapping.
Of the total number, the BJP tops the list with 16 criminal politicos, followed by the Congress. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) led by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has one and AP CM Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam has three cases against them.
TRS, Manthani MLA Putta Madhukar is booked in six serious cases under IPC.
He is charged with criminal intimidation, kidnap, assault, causing hurt by dangerous weapons and statement leading to public mischief.
While MLA Gonuguntla Suryanarayana of Dharmavaram constituency (Anantapur) has three charges related to criminal intimidation under IPC Section 506, kidnapping woman to compel her to marriage and one theft, a total of 10 cases under serious IPC were also booked. Narendra Kumar Dhulipalla, elected MLA of Ponnur constituency in Guntur, is charged with kidnapping, undue influence at elections while Thota Trimurthulu of Ramachandra Puram (East Godavari) was charged for kidnap.
Four elected representatives from Telangana State and Andhra Pradesh faced zero conviction so far.
Major General Anil Verma (Retired ) head of NEW and ADR said: “From the affidavits submitted by 770 sitting MPs and 4,086 MLAs to the National Election Commission, it was found that 21 per cent of them were charged under 13 sections of the IPC for kidnapping, apart from other serious criminal charges. There are eight MPs currently sitting in Parliament who have charges related to kidnapping against them.” From the two Telugu speaking states, four MLAs were charged.
