Key Accused In TDP Office Attack Surrenders

Amaravati: YSRCP student wing leader Panuganti Chaitanya, a key accused in the 2021 attack on the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) office, on Monday surrendered before a court at Mangalagiri in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district.

Chaitanya, who is the President of the student wing of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), is said to be a close aide of YSRCP MLC Lella Appi Reddy, also an accused in the case. Chaitanya was allegedly absconding since the TDP-led NDA government came to power in June. He surrendered in court a day after the state government decided to hand over the case to the CID. Meanwhile, in view of the delay in the handing over of the case to CID was delayed due to some technical issues, the police continued its probe. Three YSRCP leaders on Monday appeared before the police for questioning.

Appi Reddy, Devineni Avinash, and Talasila Raghuram were grilled by the police for two hours at Mangalagiri police station. The police officials questioned the accused by showing photographs of those seen participating in the attack. However, the accused told police that they did not know them. The government on Sunday decided to hand over to the CID the cases relating to the attack on the TDP office and the residence of N. Chandrababu Naidu in 2021.

A large number of supporters of YSRCP had attacked the TDP office on October 19, 2021, after TDP spokesperson Kommareddy Pattabhi Ram had made some objectionable comments against the then Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.