Telangana BSP chief Praveen Kumar booked for attempt to murder, dacoity after BRS workers ‘interrupt’ his meeting
Praveen Kumar, who is a candidate from Sirpur, accuses sitting BRS MLA Koneru Konappa of directing police to file false charges against him, his son and 11 members of his party.
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Praveen Kumar, who took voluntary retirement in July 2021 and joined the BSP the next month, is contesting the polls in Sirpur. (File) A case of attempt to murder and dacoity has been filed against RS Praveen Kumar, a retired IPS officer and the Telangana president of the Bahujan Samaj Party, and his son Puneet at the Kagaznagar Town police station in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district.
The case was registered on Monday night after workers of the BSP and the ruling BRS clashed during Assembly election campaigning. Kumar accused the sitting BRS MLA and candidate from Sirpur, Koneru Konappa, of directing the police to file false charges against him and his son, who is a PhD scholar at the Delhi School of Economics, as well as 11 members of his party.
Kumar, who took voluntary retirement in July 2021 and joined the BSP the next month, is contesting the polls in Sirpur. He had earlier complained against Konappa as well as the district superintendent of police.
“The complainant, who happens to be the driver of the MLA’s campaign vehicle, says I had stolen Rs 25,000 from him. If this can happen to a retired IPS officer with 26 years of unblemished service, imagine what people in Sirpur-Kagaznagar have been going through for the last two decades under the rule of Konappa,’’ Kumar said, taking to social media.
“The case was registered on the basis of a complaint we had received. We are still investigating,” an officer of the Kagaznagar police said.
There had been tension in Kagaznagar since the night of November 12 after BRS workers tried to interrupt a public meeting that was being addressed by Kumar. BSP leaders said that BRS campaign vehicles played music extra loudly to drown out the BSP meeting, which led to clashes. Kumar and BSP leaders protested outside the Kagaznagar police station, but no action was taken against the BRS workers. On Monday night too, according to BSP leaders, a similar incident happened and led to clashes, after which the police booked a case against Kumar and the others.
In the past, Kumar had accused the Sirpur MLA of indulging in corruption and illegal activities. On October 12, he lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India asking that Komaram Bheem-Asifabad district Superintendent of Police K Suresh Kumar be replaced, alleging that he was working at the behest of BRS MLA Koneru Konappa.
Expressing surprise that the commission, which had a day before transferred four district collectors, three IAS officers, three police commissioners and 10 superintendents of police, did not transfer Suresh, Kumar said in a statement that the police officer had attended a function organised by Konappa’s trust, participated in programmes held there and felicitated the MLA. “If the district SP goes to a private trust owned by MLA (Koneru Konappa Trust), which is built on the government land subverting rules, and felicitates the MLA in public gaze and serves food there, what kind of neutrality can we expect in the elections?” the BSP leader said in his statement.
Elections are scheduled to be held on November 30.
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