TDP MLA, associate booked for 'abducting, assaulting' forest dept officers

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh police have registered a case against ruling party MLA Budda Rajasekhara Reddy and his associate for allegedly abducting and assaulting Forest Department staff near Srisailam in Nandyal district on Tuesday.

The TDP's Srisailam MLA is accused of abducting and abusing four forest officials, reportedly claiming that the forest department staff were not cooperating with him despite his party being in power. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu took the matter seriously and directed Srisailam police to register a case against the MLA.

Acting on Naidu's instructions, Srisailam town police filed an FIR against MLA Rajasekhar Reddy and his follower Ashok Routh. While Routh was named as accused number one, the MLA was listed as accused number two. They were booked under sections 115(2), 127(2), 351(2), and 132 read with 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to the FIR, "This is a case of criminal force against a public servant while discharging official duties, causing simple hurt, and wrongful confinement that occurred on 19.08.2025 at about 21.30 hrs at Shikaram check post of Srisailam Village & Mandal, Nandyal district and reported at the police station on 20.08.2024 at 18.00 hours. The accused A1) Routh Ashok and A2) Budda Rajashekar Reddy beaten the complainant Karimullah, who is a driver with the Forest Range Officer's office, with their hands, threatened him with dire consequences, and wrongfully confined him."

The incident occurred around 10 pm on August 19 when Deputy Forest Officer Ram Naik from the Nekkanti Range, beat officers Guruvaiah and Mohan Kumar, and driver Karimullah were on patrolling duty in connection with recent leopard sightings in the area.

Near the Sikharam checkpost, the MLA and his followers allegedly obstructed the forest department staff and began abusing them. They claimed that the employees weren't working in their favour or cooperating with them, despite their party being in power.

According to forest department officials, the MLA then forced the staff into the forest department's vehicle and drove them around Srisailam until 2 am. The MLA and his followers allegedly abused the officials throughout this period, with the MLA instructing his men to physically assault them. The four staff members were subsequently confined in a guesthouse and harassed further.

Andhra Pradesh Joint Forest Officers Association's Markapur unit president P Karimullah and others addressed the media in Srisailam on August 20, demanding strong action against those involved in the attack. They highlighted that the assault targeted employees belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and minorities.

The forest department staff initially reported the incident to their higher officials before lodging a formal complaint with the Srisailam One Town Police Station.