Secunderabad Court Rejects Police Remand Plea for BRS Leader Manne Krishank
A local court in Secunderabad on Tuesday rejected a police plea seeking the remand of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) social media coordinator Manne Krishank, providing relief to the opposition leader following his arrest by Gopalapuram police. Krishank had been taken into custody from his residence in connection with a complaint lodged by Congress leader Mettu Sai Kumar.
According to the complaint, banners and flexes had been placed near Medicover Hospital targeting Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and his family with allegations that the complainant termed baseless. Following the arrest, Gopalapuram police took Krishank to the police station and subsequently to Gandhi Hospital for a mandatory medical examination before producing him before the Secunderabad court, which turned down the police request to remand him.
In a parallel development, the Telangana High Court directed the Central Crime Station (CCS) police not to arrest Krishank in another case registered against him. The High Court instead instructed the police to issue notices in accordance with established procedure and seek his explanation.
The arrest prompted a significant gathering of BRS leaders and cadres outside the Secunderabad court. Former minister and Secunderabad MLA T Padma Rao, BRS general secretary RS Praveen Kumar, MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy, MLCs Dasoju Sravan Kumar and Shambipur Raju, along with former MLAs Balka Suman and Gadari Kishore, arrived at the court complex in support of the party coordinator.
The police action occurred a day after the Cyber Crime police registered another case against Krishank, MR Media Telangana, and others following a complaint by Sai Kumar regarding statements and published material alleging corruption involving the Chief Minister’s family. The BRS asserted that both cases stemmed from the same matter and accused the ruling Congress administration of using police machinery to target opposition figures.
BRS legal cell advocate Jakkula Laxman stated that Krishank had been arrested within hours of the complaint without an adequate inquiry. Laxman also alleged that investigators were acting rapidly on complaints submitted by Congress leaders while complaints lodged by the BRS remained unaddressed, adding that certain sections were invoked without requisite court permission. Krishank had previously condemned the FIRs over his press conferences and remarks, describing the police actions as an unprecedented low in Telangana politics.
