Hyderabad police raid office of TPCC strategist Sunil Kanugolu, arrest 3 for derogatory comments against KCR

The raid was led by Cyber Crimes Assistant Commissioner of Police K V M Prasad, who said that they had received several complaints that misinformation and derogatory comments were being posted from IP addresses originating from Kanugolu’s office located near Inorbit Mall. “They were masking IP addresses or using fake IPs to post the objectionable content but we were able to track it down to this office,” Prasad said, adding that the raid was conducted after an FIR was registered.

TPCC president A Revanth Reddy lashed out at the state government for trying to muzzle criticism of the chief minister and suppress the Congress. The police raid, he said, had caused panic and anxiety among the employees, especially women. TPCC leaders have now called for protests across the state.

“Congress affairs are conducted in the war room of the Congress party. What is the purpose of the police here…While KCR is taking anti-public policies to the people, it is pitiful for the police to act like this…,” Reddy said. He urged party workers to burn effigies of the CM and stage protests at all Mandals across the state Wednesday and gave a call for a protest outside the Hyderabad police commissioner’s office on Wednesday.

“The police created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation during the raid. The persons who were targeted are the election analysis team of the Congress and this raid is illegal,” Congress leader Mohammad Ali Shabbir said.

After Kanugolu informed Congress leaders about the raid, Ali Shabbir, TPCC vice-president Mallu Ravi, Anil Kumar Yadav and others reached the office and staged a protest, leading to angry arguments between the police and the leaders. “This is misuse of police by the state government to target the Congress,” Mallu Ravi said. The three Congress leaders were taken into preventive custody and later released.

On Wednesday morning, Ravi issued a statement saying the police had kept him under house arrest. “Since early morning today, I am under house arrest without any reason. There is no freedom for the Opposition party to express at least dissent on police actions,” Ravi said in the statement. “Today, CM KCR is starting BRS party in Delhi and house arresting Congress leaders in Telangana state without any valid reason. This is an example of police rule in Telangana state. KCR is showing how he is ruling Telangana state without human rights. History says that police rule cannot continue for long,” he added.

Adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha. (Express Photo)

Meanwhile, Congress MP Manickam Tagore is set to issue a notice to move an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha over the issue. In the copy addressed to the Secretary-General, Lok Sabha, Tagore said, the “House should give priority to discuss the atrocious attitude of the Telangana Police who have arrested 5 people entering vehemently into the Telangana Congress war room in Hyderabad yesterday. The arrest was done based on a FB post against the CM Telangana without a search warrant, or without any notice under 41A CRPC.”