Reports are emerging that former Gannavaram MLA and YSR Congress party leader Vallabaneni Vamshi has been arrested by Andhra Pradesh police just while ago in Hyderabad in connection with a kidnap case of the complainant over the attack on Telugu Desam Party central office in 2023. The police arrested him from My Home Bhoja residence in Hyderabad and he will be brought to Vijayawada in a few more hours for further formalities.
The attack on TDP office took place when YSR Congress party was in power. Vamshi’s followers ransacked the office and destroyed the furniture before setting it ablaze. At that time, there was no action by the police despite TDP’s complaint. After the change in government in June last year when NDA coalition spearheaded by TDP came to power, the investigation in this case gained pace as the police made several arrests including Vamshi’s Personal Assistant.
After facing a humiliating defeat, Vamshi went into political oblivion and also has been evading arrest from the last few months. He filed petitions in the High Court for anticipatory bail. The High Court reserved the judgement for February 20th. The AP police have been closely following the movements of Vamshi and finally nabbed him from Hyderabad today morning.
The TDP office attack case took a dramatic turn couple of days ago when the complainant Satyavardhan who worked deposed that he was forcefully made to lodge the complaint about the attack. It is alleged that Vamshi has threatened Satyavardhan to turn hostile and made him submit a video to the court. However, the police kept an eye on Vamshi’s stratagems and arrested him for threatening and kidnapping the complainant. It is unclear yet when Vamshi was arrested over the attack or the kidnap case.
Vamshi started his political career with TDP and won as MLA in 2014 and 2019. However, he switched loyalties after 2019 victory and joined YSR Congress party. He made several allegations on Nara Lokesh and Chandrababu Naidu and also resorted to unparliamentary language on Nara Bhuvaneswari several times. In 2024 elections, he lost cheaply in the hands of TDP.
