Hyderabad: Vikarabad police have sought five-day custody of Kodangal former MLA Patnam Narender Reddy, the prime accused in the Lagacharla violence, as the BRS leader refused to share his mobile phone’s PIN number. District police alleged that Narender Reddy was the prime conspirator in the attack on Vikarabad collector Prateek Jain and other govt staff during a public hearing on Nov 11 for acquiring land for a multi-industry SEZ.
While seeking Narender’s custody, investigators alleged that he frequently contacted key accused B Suresh over his phone to assess the situation.
“The investigation agency seized Narender’s phone as part of confession-cum-panchanama as material evidence in the presence of two mediators, but its IMEI number and SIM numbers were not given to the investigation agency by the accused, who refused to disclose the PIN of his cell phone,” police informed the court.
However, Narender’s advocate Jakkula Laxman refuted the allegation, saying that the BRS leader had nothing to do with the violence since he was at Telangana Bhavan when the incident took place. “We opposed police’s plea seeking Narender’s custody since there is no need for custody as his phone was already seized by the investigators. Apart from this, a quash petition is pending before the high court,” Laxman told TOI. After hearing both sides, the court reserved its order as the matter is pending before the high court.
Meanwhile, Vikarabad police said that Suresh, who surrendered before a local court in Vikarabad district on Tuesday, is suspected to have taken shelter in Maharashtra while he on the run. Police would seek his custody too.
“We are in the process of knowing who all harboured him while he was on the run. They will also be made accused,” sources in Telangana police told TOI.
While seeking Narender’s custody, investigators alleged that he frequently contacted key accused B Suresh over his phone to assess the situation
