Hyderabad (The Hawk): Y.S. Sharmila, the leader of the YSR Telangana Party (YSRTP), was granted bail on Tuesday by a city court, hours after she had been detained by police amid much drama while travelling to the official residence of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao in a car that had been attacked by TRS men the day before in Warangal district.
She and six other people were brought by the police on Tuesday night to appear before a magistrate, who released them on personal bond.
While the police sought Sharmila's remand, her attorney contended that the police had falsely accused her of wanting to organise a peaceful protest with her supporters. The magistrate granted bail to the YSRTP leader and others after hearing all arguments.
This marked the conclusion of a day filled with dramatic events that started when Sharmila and her supporters went to the home of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to protest the attack on her convoy by party workers when she was on her "Praja Prasthanam" padayatra.
Dramatic scenes were seen when the police stopped the rally organised by the YSRTP with a bus and a car that were in bad shape on Raj Bhavan Road. Sharmila, who was operating the damaged car, insisted on staying inside. Sharmila was still in the car when it was towed away by the cops.
Sharmila, the sister of Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, was brought to SR Nagar Police Station. She resisted getting out of the automobile, which caused more controversy. She was lifted into the police station by the officers after they violently opened the door. A group of YSRTP members had assembled there to protest her detention, but the police used force to scatter them.
Vijayamma, the mother of Sharmila, was put under house arrest as she was heading to the police station to meet Sharmila. After then, Vijayamma sat in her Lotus Pond home's protest.
Anil Kumar, Sharmila's husband, arrived at the police station and criticised the "highhanded" behaviour of the officers. He claimed that a woman activist who was speaking up for the community had been detained and booked under non-bailable sections.
Sharmila and six other people were charged with violating Indian Penal Code Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful restraint), 290 (public nuisance), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (insulting a woman's modesty), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 353 (assault or criminal force to prevent a public servant from performing his duty), and 382 (abuse or criminal force to prevent another person from doing the same (Theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to the committing of the theft)
K. Akhila, a female sub-inspector, filed a complaint at the Panjagutta police station, leading to the registration of the FIR.
Induja Reddy, Sudha Rani, Md. Musharf, Basha, Sanjeev Kumar, Kodem Srinu, and others were among the other defendants.
(Inputs from Agencies)