Pinnelli arrested as HC dismisses anticipatory bail

Former YSR Congress Party MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy was arrested by the police on Wednesday in connection with the case of damaging an EVM on the polling day, May 13.
The police detained Pinnelli at Narasaraopet and took him to the SP’s office, from where the former MLA was moved to the Macherla court. Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy was arrested after the High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail petitions in the case of the smashing of EVMs and attacking those who obstructed him.
Pinnelli filed four petitions seeking anticipatory bail. Arguments concluded in the High Court on June 20, and the verdict was delivered on Wednesday. Advocate Ashwin Kumar argued on behalf of the police as Special Counsel, while Adv Posani Venkateshwarlu represented the complainant, Namburi Seshagiri Rao.
Ramakrishna Reddy, candidate for Macherla Assembly constituency, allegedly barged into the polling station with his supporters and broke VVPAT and EVM machines. On May 28, the High Court granted conditional anticipatory bail to him in the cases registered against him. On June 3, the Supreme Court barred Ramakrishna Reddy from entering the vote counting station of Macherla constituency on June 4.
The CCTV footage of the May 13 incident was widely circulated on social media. It showed Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy, the then sitting MLA from Macherla constituency, walking into the Palwai Gate polling centre and going into the enclosed area where the EVM is kept. He then picked up the VVPAT and smashed it to the ground. The machine broke into pieces.
On May 13, the Election Commission (EC) noted that EVMs were damaged in seven polling stations in Macherla constituency, including the one involving Reddy.