A local leader of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) from Borabanda has been booked for allegedly attacking and sexually harassing a woman in Hyderabad’s Panjagutta area. Vijay Simha Reddy, who said he was the TRS party coordinator of Borabanda division, allegedly entered the woman’s house on the night of Sunday, September 18, and slit her throat with a knife. The woman is now out of danger, the police said. The woman’s husband has put out a video alleging that Vijay Simha had made nude video calls to her in the past, and had met her a couple of times too.
Panjagutta Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) PV Ganesh said that Vijay Simha has been booked under Sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 354A (sexual harassment), 448 (punishment for house-trespass) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Along with the video of the husband speaking about the incident, a video showing the woman holding her neck and squirming in pain has also been circulated.
In the video, the woman’s husband was heard saying, “She is unable to talk properly but she named Jubilee Hills MLA (Maganti Gopinath)’s Personal Assistant Vijay Simha … He has made nude video calls to her. I have my wife’s phone with all the call records … He seemed very friendly but I never thought he would find the address and go home and attack my wife. She told me about it many times but I didn't take it seriously, I didn't think this would happen … I am afraid there’ll be problems since he is an MLA’s PA and I heard that rowdy sheeters are involved.”
The TRS leader, on the other hand, alleged a conspiracy against him by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) Corporator from Borabanda Baba Fasiuddin. He claimed that he worked as Baba Fasiuddin’s personal assistant in the past for six years, and had left the job because of the Corporator’s alleged involvement in “corrupt activities, conspiracies and harassing people.”
“After I saw such activities, I left him as I was worried about the party’s reputation, and have been working to develop the party in Borabanda. Now, he has conspired by paying others to file a case against me,” Vijay Simha said, alleging that the complainant was offered Rs 3 lakh to file a false complaint against him. “I have evidence for my alibi, regarding the allegation that I tried to murder a woman last night around 1 am. A police investigation is on, the truth will come out in the inquiry by evening,” he added.
Vijay Simha also claimed that the woman who complained against him had been messaging him and calling him for the past six months and that he had been ignoring her messages. He claimed that around a week ago, the complainants themselves warned him that Baba Fasiuddin was conspiring against him. He also claimed that he was not working as a PA to anyone at present.