Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Malila Venkata Ramanamurthy and eight others were arrested on Saturday from Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur town on charges of stripping, assaulting and publicly humiliating a 46-year-old woman over a motor pump connection, police said.
On July 15, Ramanamurthy, claiming to be the ward secretary, demanded $Nagarpalem police inspector Bedi Rambabu said the woman paid ₹10,000 to have the motor pump installed in her drinking water pipeline.
“When her husband refused, Ramanamurthy argued and threatened. Later, at around 8 pm on July 15, he, his mother, wife, two sons and relatives, including a transgender person, barged into the woman’s house and assaulted her and her family members.”
During the attack, the accused allegedly insulted the modesty of the woman by tearing her clothes, physically assaulting her, causing bleeding injuries, and forcefully snatching away her gold jewellery, mobile phone and other valuables.
When her eldest son Bala Gopikrishna intervened, the accused allegedly assaulted him and tried to strangle him with a wire, causing injury, before locals intervened and rescued him, the SI said, adding that local women came to rescue the victim, provided her with clothes and took her to safety.
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The incident took place on the night of July 15 at Krishnababu Colony under Nagarambalim police station limits in Guntur town, and came to light after the victim approached the police and filed a complaint on July 16, police said.
Police Inspector Satyanarayana said that an investigation has been launched and the accused have been taken into custody to ascertain the sequence of events and the role of each individual involved.
The police have registered a case against Ramanamurthy and his family members, including a transgender person, under Sections 331(6) (trespass into a house for attack), 74 (criminal force against a woman for outraging her modesty), 79 (outraging the modesty of a woman), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 118(1) read with 3(5) (attacking a person by more than one person) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu condemned the incident and said the alleged insult to the woman was completely unacceptable. He said in
Guntur West MLA Galla Madhavi announced the suspension of Ramanamurthy from the party pending further action. She reiterated that the Justice and Development Party will not tolerate any action that affects women’s dignity and safety.
State Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh also expressed shock and anger, warning that anyone who believes that political connections or party affiliation can protect them from the law is deeply mistaken.
Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anita spoke to the Guntur District Superintendent of Police to review the progress of the investigation. The Interior Minister also questioned the delay in the initial police response and ordered the initiation of proceedings against the officers accused of negligence.
