metro india news  I hyderabad

BRS MLA in Telangana, Padi Kaushik Reddy, was arrested by the Warangal police in the early hours of Saturday in a case of alleged extortion, police sources said. The Huzurabad MLA was arrested at the RGI airport here and taken to Warangal, they added. The case was registered based on an allegation that Kaushik Reddy threatened a quarry owner and took Rs 25 lakh from him and demanded Rs 50 lakh more, the police said.

Large number of BRS workers staged a protest at Subedari Police Station against the arrest of the MLA. BRS leader Vinay Bhaskar and others tried to meet Kaushik Reddy, but they were stopped by the police. Police have tightened security in Warangal after the MLA’s arrest. While being arrested at the airport, Kaushik Reddy said he would not stop questioning Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.  He alleged that he was arrested as he had questioned the operation of quarries by the ‘benamis’ of the Chief Minister.

The MLA slammed the arrest at the airport without any notice and called it an attack on democracy. BRS Working President K T Rama Rao alleged in a release that false cases are being foisted against Kaushik Reddy as he is questioning the ‘illegalities’ of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the corruption and irregularities of ministers and ruling Congress leaders. Rama Rao demanded the unconditional release of the MLA.