Key accused in Vikarabad officials attack surrenders

Hyderabad: A key accused in the attack on district authorities during a public hearing on land acquisition in Telangana's Vikarabad district surrendered before a court on Tuesday, police said.

B Suresh, a leader of the BRS youth wing, who allegedly "pre-planned" and instigated the attack on November 11, surrendered before a local court in Kodangal town, Vikarabad.

Suresh had been on the run after the incident. A senior police official confirmed that Suresh's passport had been seized, and a Look Out Circular (LOC) had been issued against him.

"Once he is remanded in judicial custody by the court, a petition will be filed seeking his police custody," the official said. Former BRS MLA Patnam Narender Reddy is among the 26 people arrested so far in connection with the incident, and more arrests are expected, the official added. The attack occurred in Lagacharla village, Dudyala mandal, Vikarabad, on November 11. Villagers were protesting the acquisition of their land for proposed pharmaceutical companies. While a public hearing had been planned by the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) on the outskirts of the village, Suresh had requested the district Collector, Prateek Jain, to visit the village so farmers could express their views.

The Collector accepted the request and visited the village with other officials. However, they were confronted by a mob, police said. Protesters shoved Collector Prateek Jain and threw stones at his vehicle, as well as those of other district authorities.