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Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Mallela Venkata Ramanamurthy and eight others were arrested on Saturday from Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur town for allegedly stripping, assaulting and publicly humiliating a 46-year-old woman over a motor pump connection, police said.

The incident occurred on the night of July 15 at Krishnababu colony under Nagarampalem police station limits in Guntur town. (Representative Photo/ HT Photo)On July 15, Ramanamurthy, claiming to be the ward secretary demanded ₹10,000 from the woman for installing the motor pump to her drinking water pipeline, Nagarapalem sub-inspector of police Pydi Rambabu said.

“When her husband refused, Ramanamurthy picked quarrel and threatened. Later, at about 8pm on July 15, he, along with his mother, wife, two sons and relatives, including a transgender person, trespassed into the woman’s house and assaulted her and her family members,” the SI said.

During the attack, the accused allegedly outraged the woman’s modesty by tearing her clothes, physically assaulting her, causing bleeding injuries, and forcibly snatching away her gold ornaments, mobile phone, and other valuables.

When her elder son Bala Gopikrishna intervened, the accused allegedly assaulted him and attempted to strangle him with a wire, causing injuries, before local residents intervened and rescued him, the SI said, adding that local women came to the victim’s rescue, provided her with clothes and shifted her to safety.

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The incident occurred on the night of July 15 at Krishnababu colony under Nagarampalem police station limits in Guntur town, came to light after the victim approached the police and lodged a complaint on July 16, police said.

Police inspector Satyanarayana said that an investigation has been launched and the accused have been taken into custody to ascertain the sequence of events and the role of each individual involved.

Guntur West MLA Galla Madhavi announced the suspension of Ramanamurthy from the party pending further action. She reiterated that the TDP would not tolerate any act that compromises the dignity and safety of women.

Andhra Pradesh home minister Vangalapudi Anita spoke to the Guntur district superintendent of police to review the progress of the investigation. The home minister also questioned the delay in the initial police response and directed that action be initiated against officers accused of negligence.

Srinivasa Rao is Senior Assistant Editor based out of Hyderabad covering developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . He has over three decades of reporting experience.