Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar taken into custody by police

Telangana BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar was taken into custody by police in Karimnagar city in the early hours of Wednesday, triggering protests by his party workers.

Sanjay Kumar, a Lok Sabha MP from Karimnagar constituency, was picked up by a team of police from his residence.

BJP leader and advocate Rachna Reddy told PTI that the party has moved a house motion (habeas corpus petition) before the Telangana High Court seeking direction to the police to produce Sanjay Kumar before a court.

Police have been tight-lipped about the "preventive arrest" and the charges on which Sanjay was taken into custody. However, a communication from the department said Warangal Police Commissioner A V Ranganath will be holding a press conference over the matter at 4.00 pm.

The Commissioner on Tuesday said one of the accused, who had circulated the Hindi SSC question paper on social media, had also sent a copy to Sanjay Kumar.

The paper of Standard X (SSC) board exam in Telangana found its way into an instant messaging platform for the second day in a row on Tuesday after a 16-year old boy took a photo of the paper from a student who appeared for the exam and shared it with that student's brother while the exam was going on.

The paper was posted in a group of the instant messaging app and was subsequently shared in other groups by one of the accused, who had also sent it to Sanjay Kumar, police said.

After the paper was found circulated in social media, Police began investigating into the matter and registered a case. They apprehended the student's friend and arrested two others who had circulated the question paper on the app.

A thorough inquiry was conducted by the education department through district authorities and also the police. It was concluded that the incident is a case of malpractice, and accordingly cases were booked under relevant laws.

Sanjay Kumar had demanded on Tuesday that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao furnish his post-graduate degree certificates before talking about the educational qualifications of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Reacting to the comments of KCR and his Minister son K T Rama Rao about Modi's educational qualifications, the BJP leader said the Prime Minister had been leading the country on the path of progress. Modi had brought India to No 5 position in the world in terms of development, he claimed.

Earlier, the MP's supporters tried to prevent the police from taking Kumar into custody, leading to some tense moments.

Condemning the police action, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy termed as 'undemocratic' the "arrest" of Kumar without citing any reason.

The development comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the state on April 8 to inaugurate various projects.

Sanjay Kumar, who was initially shifted to Bommalaramaram police station under Rachakonda Police Commissionerate limits here was subsequently being taken by the police to Warangal.

A large number of BJP workers gathered near Bommalaramaram police station to protest Kumar's arrest and also raised slogans against Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao. They demanded that Sanjay Kumar be released immediately.

BJP MLA M Raghunandan Rao and several party leaders and workers were prevented from going there.

Four government staff were suspended on Monday in Vikarabad district of Telangana after a stand-by invigilator at a government school allegedly took a photo of a Telugu question paper of Standard X board exams and shared it with another teacher on an instant messaging app while the test was going on.
The SSC exams in the state began on Monday.