Dalit man assaulted in Andhra Pradesh, accused tied to Jagan Reddy party's leader

A case of caste violence has been reported in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati, where a Dalit youth was allegedly abducted and beaten by men linked to senior YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Bhumana Karunakar Reddy.

Police said the victim, Pawan Kumar, a resident of Pulicharla and belonging to the Mala (SC) community, was attacked on Wednesday by Anil Reddy, a known criminal and personal driver of former YSRCP MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, along with an accomplice, Dinesh.

The duo allegedly locked Pawan in a room, beat him with lathis, and filmed the assault. The video was then sent to Pawan’s father, Neelam Jayaraju, in what police believe was an act of intimidation.

According to preliminary reports, the incident took place while the accused were at Bhumana Karunakar Reddy’s office, where his son, Abhinay Reddy, was also reportedly present.

Tirupati East DSP Bhakta Vatsalam confirmed that Dinesh and Anil Reddy were involved. Anil, who has six criminal cases against him and runs SVB Bike Riders and Rentals, was arrested earlier. Another suspect, Jaggareddy alias Jagadish, was also taken into custody after Anil’s interrogation.

The attack reportedly began over a rented motorcycle dispute but escalated into brutal caste-based violence, allegedly fuelled by political influence. Pawan was released after the assault. Police are searching for the remaining accused.

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