Hyderabad: Tension prevailed at the Lecturer’s Colony in Siddipet on Monday as the police recovered Rs 18.67 lakh from the house of S Anjan Rao, a relative of BJP’s candidate in the Dubbaka byelection. Following the incident, the BJP in Telangana on Tuesday requested the Election Commission to suspend the Siddipet Police Commissioner, alleging that the TRS government was misusing police and revenue officials in the run up to the November 3 Dubbak by-poll.
The party,in a memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer, also sought a CBI inquiry into the incident of cash seizure and subsequent developments on Monday at Siddipet and to appoint a Police Observer to oversee the Dubbak assembly by- election.
Police recovered Rs 18.67 lakh, however Rs 12.8 lakh out of the amount was snatched away by some of the BJP leader’s supporters, police said.
BJP state president B Sanjay Kumar and others were prevented at Siddipet on Monday night from going to Dubbak, prompting the leader to hold a Deeksha (sit in protest) at the partys office in Karimnagar.
Following this, the BJP submitted the memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer. The party also requested the CEO to deploy central forces in the Constituency for conducting free and fair elections.
It also submitted a memorandum to the Governor, seeking an instruction to the DGP to immediately transfer all police officials in Siddipet, who, the party alleged, were involved in “high handedness” against BJP workers. Sanjay told PTI that the TRS, fearing defeat, was planning to get the polls postponed.
“I, along with other leaders, was prevented from going to Dubbak (on Monday night). Despite me being an MP and astar campaigner,the Siddipet Commissioner shoved me.”
Police rubbishes allegations
Dismissing the BJP’s charge that police were trying to plant the cash bag at the residence of the party leader’s relative, Police Commissioner Joel Davis termed them as “absolutely wrong and rubbish”.
“With allegations against the police, selective clippings were shown on tv as if police brought the cash and planted the money bag… all such allegations are absolutely wrong,” he said adding that searches were conducted after serving notices and it was videographed.
The Commissioner said around 20-30 people attacked the election team, comprising the Executive Magistrate, Assistant Commissioner of Police rank official and other government officials while they were coming out of the house and snatched the money
Separate cases were registered with regard to the cash seizure and snatching incident, he said.
Davis opined that the attack was “pre-planned” and they would probe if there is any conspiracy angle behind it.
The Commissioner said after analysing videos and photos, the persons whotook away the money were later identified to be BJP supporters and five members were taken into custody and were being questioned.
He said the snatched amount had still not been recovered.
On police preventing Sanjay Kumar from entering Siddipet, Davis clarified that he personally requested and explained to the Karimnagar MP not to go there, keeping in view the law and order situation in Siddipet.
“But he came and was taken away by police, ” Davis said, adding no political party leader was stopped from campaigning.
Meanwhile, BJP MLC NRamchanderRao andsome party leaders wereplaced under house arrest here and some party workers were taken into preventive custody when they tried to hold protests in the city and other parts of the state, condemning the police action againstSanjay Kumar.
Police have also beefed up security near Pragathi Bhavan (Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Raos official residence complex-cum-camp office) here.