Controversial and self-styled political leader Borugadda Anil Kumar, who claims himself to be the working president of Republican Party of India in Andhra Pradesh, was arrested by the Guntur police late on Wednesday night.
Known for his loud-mouth nature and inflammatory comments against Telugu Desam Party president and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, his son Nara Lokesh and Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan, was arrested by Pattabhipuram police at his residence in Guntur.
The arrest was said to be based on a complaint lodged by one Karlapudi Babu Prakash, who alleged that Borugadda had demanded Rs 50 lakh from him and threatened to kill him if he did not give money. He is presently being questioned in Pattabhipuram police station.
Despite being the so-called working president of Republican Party of India (which had, in fact, clarified that it had nothing do with him), Borugadda was a staunch supporter of YSR Congress party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
At one stage, he had even announced that if Jagan gave him permission, he would not hesitate to eliminate Naidu, Lokesh and Pawan Kalyan.
In the past, too, Borugadda had addressed public meetings along with former Tirumala head priest A V Ramana Deekshitulu to make allegations that Naidu had stolen the pink diamond of Lord Venkateshwara.
Ever since the TDP returned to power in June this year, Borugadda had been absconding. Within days, some miscreants set fire to Borugadda ’s camp office in Guntur by pouring petrol on furniture.
It was the second time that miscreants had set fire to his office. In February 2023, too, it was burnt by miscreants.
There were reports that he had gone to Bengaluru and later to Hyderabad and was not available to the police. On Wednesday, the police came to know that he had come to Guntur and hence, they arrested him.
Police acted on a tip-off, arresting him at his home where he had been staying discreetly while allegedly continuing his illegal operations.
Authorities are now considering filing more serious charges, potentially related to conspiracy to assassinate prominent political figures.