Industrialist and former parliamentarian Lagadapati Rajagopal created a ruckus in Hyderabad as he tried to stop the police from searching the residence of his friend. Late on Thursday, Rajagopal rushed to businessman G P Reddy's house in Jubliee Hills after learning that the police have arrived there to conduct a raid.
The former Lok Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh entered into a heated argument with the officers present. At one point he stopped them from entering the house and also questioned the officers' action without a search warrant.
He also alleged that the police were harassing Reddy by conducting midnight searches despite his friend extending cooperation in the probe into a civil case.
When a sub-inspector was speaking with his senior on the phone, Rajagopal snatched the device and vented his ire on the person across the line. He said Inspector General of Police Nagi Reddy was behind the search.
A case was registered against G P Reddy for allegedly faking documents related to a land belonging to a police official.
Speaking to reporters, Lagadapati Rajagopal said, “Nagi Reddy has abused his power and position and sent police personnel for a raid without a search or arrest warrant. They should be punished. Also because of the upcoming election, the state government cannot take action against G P Reddy as the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in place. Therefore, we are planning to take up this case with the Governor and the Election Commission and demand strict action.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police A R Srinivas clarified that police had gone to the Reddy house as part of the ongoing probe and it has the right to question an accused at any time.
L Rajagopal was famously in the news in 2014, after he used a pepper spray in the House of the Parliament during the height of the Telangana movement for separate statehood.
Known for his united-Andhra stance, Rajagopal even defended his move of using pepper spray in the Lok Sabha, telling the media at the time, "I did it in self-defence. They pounced on whoever opposed the Telangana bill. I would have done the same thing anywhere. It's not a lethal weapon.”
IANS inputs