Student leader held for attacks on Reliance outlets

Y S Rajasekhara ReddyHyderabad, Jan 11 : A city court Monday sent to jail for two weeks a student leader for his alleged involvement in the attacks on Reliance outlets in Andhra Pradesh last week.

Ch. Vamshi Chand Reddy, former state president of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the youth wing of the Congress, was arrested by Hyderabad police Sunday. He had allegedly sent SMSes to his followers across the state Thursday night urging them to attack Reliance outlets after a television channel telecast a story about a purported conspiracy behind the death of the then chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash in September last year.

Following the telecast of the baseless story linking Reliance with the death of YSR, Reliance outlets across the state were targeted. Cases were booked against Vamshi in two police stations in Hyderabad. While he got bail in one case booked at Saidabad police station, the cases booked at S. R. Nagar police station were non-bailable.

The NSUI leader has been charged with criminal conspiracy, rioting, criminal intimidation, abetment of offence, being member of unlawful assembly and mischief.

The police showed Vamshi's arrest after his family moved the state human rights commission alleging that police had illegally detained him.

State Congress president D. Srinivas has already served a show cause notice to the NSUI leader for his alleged involvement in the attacks.

Meanwhile, police in Guntur district arrested another Congress leader K. Sambasiva Rao in connection with the attacks.

On Sunday, police in Kurnool had booked former minister M. Mareppa for inciting violence.

Police said they registered 114 cases and arrested 289 people in connection with the attacks on Reliance properties. (IANS)