Hyderabad: K Veera Raghava Reddy, the main suspect in the assault on Chilkur Balaji temple priest CS Rangarajan, petitioned the Telangana High Court on Thursday, February 13, to overturn the remand order against him.
Reddy’s attorney, Sunkara Naresh, argued that the accusations against his client did not constitute a crime and that both the arrest and remand were unlawful.
Six more arrested for attack on Chilkur Balaji priest in Hyderabad
The court adjourned the case to Friday to allow the assistant public prosecutor time to get information from the Narsingi police regarding Reddy’s writ petition.
6 more arrested
Six more persons have been arrested by the Moinabad police for attacking Chilkur Balaji head priest CS Rangarajan.
Veera Raghava Reddy, founder of the Rama Rajyam organisation along with his associates on February 7, had allegedly trespassed into the house of the head priest at Chilkur village in Moinabad and after a disagreement attacked him.
Reddy had sought help from Rangarajan to expand his organisation ‘Rama Rajyam’. He sought funds and help from the head priest to recruit people.
The police had arrested Raghava Reddy and five others in the case earlier and remanded them. According to reports 14 other accused are absconding.
Speaking to Siasat.com, Moinabad police said, “The accused were arrested for assaulting the priest and extortion. The arrested persons were booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) 189 (2), 333,115, 352, 351 and 308.”
Chilkur Balaji head priest attacked
On February 7, the chief priest of the Chilkur Balaji temple, Sri Rangarajan, was attacked by 20-25 members of the Hindutva group Rama Rajyam after he refused to support them financially and against helping them recruit more members into the organisation.
The priest was essentially attacked by the accused, who claimed to be of the ‘Iskhvaku’ clan, for not accepting their ‘mission’.
