Tirupati assault case: 3 YSRCP workers held for kidnapping, thrashing ST youth; dispute over rented bike turns violent

TIRUPATI: Three YSRCP activists, identified as Anil Reddy, Jagga Reddy and Dinesh Reddy, were arrested by Tirupati police on charges of kidnapping and assaulting a youngster.According to Tirupati East DSP Bhaktavatsalam, Anil, who works as a driver for former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, also owns a bike rental showroom in Tirupati. The youth, identified as Pavan from Pulicherla in Chittoor district, rented a bike sometime ago but reportedly stopped paying rentals and also did not return the bike. A couple of days ago, Anil and Dinesh, along with the third accused Jagga, spotted Pavan near Tirupati railway station and took him away."The accused took him to their bike rental showroom, illegally confined him and severely thrashed him with a fibre lathi, which is generally used by the police. The accused filmed the act and sent it to Pavan's parents and other locals at Pulicherla," the Tirupati East DSP said.The parents of the victim, who is from the ST community, lodged a complaint and the 3 were arrested.