Andhra minister's son arrested for misbehaving with woman

Andhra Pradesh Social Welfare Minister Ravela Kishore Babu’s son Ravela Susheel was on Sunday arrested for allegedly misbehaving with a young woman teacher, triggering demands by the opposition that he be sacked.

Kishore Babu on his part alleged a “political conspiracy” by opposition YSR Congress leader Jaganmohan Reddy behind the arrest of Susheel, who was held along with his driver. He rejected the allegations against his son as “false and fabricated”.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Banjara Hills Division) D Uday Kumar Reddy said that Susheel and the driver, Ramesh, appeared before police in the early hours of on Sunday after notices were served to them and were arrested following their examination.

They were on Saturday booked under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.

The complainant had alleged that a car with ‘MLA’ sticker followed her when she was passing through Road no 13 while on her way to school on Thursday evening.

The driver of the car and another occupant, who were drunk, passed remarks and asked her to come inside the car while one person with a tattoo on his hand tried to pull her inside the vehicle, she had alleged.

When there was an attempt to pull her inside the vehicle, the woman raised an alarm following which her husband, who was nearby, and some locals gathered at the spot and beat up Susheel and Ramesh.

On Friday, the woman also claimed to have identified the photo of the minister’s son as the one who held her hand and tried to pull her inside the car.

While Susheel claimed innocence and alleged that the case was “politically motivated”, his father said police probe will reveal the truth and he will “not interfere” in the matter.

Hitting out at Kishore Babu, YSR Congress party’s deputy floor leader U Kalpana said, “Even as the minister’s son was caught on camera misbehaving with a woman, the minister tried to blame it on Leader of Opposition (Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy) for the incident. We demand the minister should be dropped from the cabinet and let law take its own course.

“The allegations against my son are false... they are fabricated, they are politically motivated, concocted. It is nothing but a conspiracy being hatched by Jaganmohan Reddy and his party,” Kishore Babu alleged.

“He is innocent and he will come out clean,” Kishore Babu told mediapersons.

“I’m telling Jagamohan Reddy... politically fight with Kishore Babu, but don’t fight indirectly...involving with the career of my son,” he said.

The misbehaviour was well recorded and the Andhra government has been trying to wriggle out of the situation by levelling baseless allegations and putting up concocted versions that the footage was morphed, which shows the sick mind of Telugu Desam Party government and leaders, she alleged, in a release.

“We demand immediate action against the minister and an assurance from the government for women’s safety ahead of the International Women’s Day,” she said.

Image: Ravela Susheel has been booked under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code. Photograph: Facebook