Hyderabad witnessed a day of high political tension on Thursday, December 5, as Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy and senior party leader T Harish Rao were arrested by Hyderabad Police on multiple charges, including obstruction of police duty and criminal intimidation.
The dramatic sequence of events began at Kaushik Reddy's Kondapur residence, where police arrived to execute his arrest. The situation quickly escalated when Harish Rao, a former minister and nephew of former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, attempted to intervene. Police personnel blocked Harish's efforts to meet Kaushik, leading to a heated confrontation that resulted in Harish's own detention.
The arrest stems from an earlier incident at Banjara Hills police station on December 4, where Kaushik Reddy had gone to lodge a complaint about alleged phone tapping. During this visit, a confrontation erupted when the MLA demanded that Station House Officer (SHO) Raghavendra remain to receive his complaint. The SHO, citing urgent work, attempted to leave but was allegedly obstructed by Kaushik and his supporters.
Following the altercation, police registered a case against Kaushik Reddy for multiple offenses, including unlawful assembly, obstructing a public servant, criminal intimidation, wrongful restraint, public nuisance, and rioting.
As news of Kaushik's arrest spread, BRS supporters gathered at his residence in a show of solidarity, triggering further clashes. The tension resulted in the detention of several senior BRS leaders, including Harish Rao, K Prabhakar Rao, Shambipur Raju, and former minister Jagadish Reddy.