Accused attacked BRS MP to gain attention, create sensation, says Telangana Police

Hyderabad: The attack on ruling BRS MP Kotha Prabhakar Reddy, during campaigning in Siddipet district on October 30 was carried out by the accused in order to gain attention and create a sensation, police said.

Prabhakar Reddy, the party's candidate from Dubbak assembly segment for the November 30 assembly elections, was stabbed with a knife allegedly by a person named G Raju in Surampalli village of Doulthabad mandal when the former was campaigning.

In the attack, Prabhakar Reddy, who is an MP from Medak Lok Sabha constituency, suffered injuries in his stomach and had been undergoing treatment at a hospital in the city.

Enraged over the attack, some local villagers had thrashed the 40-year-old accused and handed him over to the police, who took him into custody. As the accused had also suffered injuries, he had been admitted to state-run Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad.

Raju was arrested on Wednesday after he was discharged from the hospital. The accused was produced before a court which sent him to judicial remand, a release from Siddipet Police Commissionerate said.

A case under IPC section 307 (attempt to murder) and under relevant sections of the Arms Act was registered against Raju.

During preliminary questioning (before the remand), the accused confessed that he committed the offence with the intention drawing the attention of everyone and creating a sensation with the attack, it said.

With an intention to attack the MP, Raju had purchased a knife one week ago at Dubbak market and for the last few days he started enquiring about the villages where Prabhakar Reddy was taking part in the election campaign, police said.

Raju, who belongs to Siddipet district and works for social media channels, went to Surampalli village on October 30, police said, adding the accused attacked the MP with the knife when he was about to board his vehicle.

Police recovered the knife which was used in the offence along with his mobile phone.

Further investigations were on to determine any other motive behind the attack and also if anyone else was also involved in the incident after obtaining evidence including technical information, police added.