5 more arrested for attack on Chilkur Balaji temple chief priest C S Rangarajan in Hyderabad, total 6 held till now

Besides Raghava Reddy, who is simply a autochthonal of East Godavari territory successful Andhra Pradesh and a nonmigratory of Manikonda successful Hyderabad, the 5 arrested include 2 women from Khammam and Nizamabad districts. They were remanded successful judicial custody.

According to Ch Srinivas, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Rajendranagar, Raghava Reddy started ‘Rama Rajyam’ successful 2022 connected societal media platforms, including Facebook, and operated a YouTube channel. “He posted Bhagavad Gita slokas and motivated radical to articulation the Army to support Hindu Dharma. He besides announced that individuals registering betwixt September 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, would beryllium recruited into the ‘Rama Rajyam Army’ with a wage of Rs 20,000,” the DCP said successful a statement.

Responding to this societal media post, 25 radical archetypal met the accused connected January 24, 2025, astatine Tanuku. “After 4 days of stay, they travelled to Kotappakonda, wherever they contributed Rs 2,000 each and had uniforms stitched by a section tailor. On 06.02.2025, aft receiving the uniforms, they gathered successful an autarkic location successful Yapral, Hyderabad, and took photos and videos successful azygous with the organisation’s logo successful the backdrop. On 07.02.2025, they travelled to Chilkur successful 3 vehicles and committed the supra crime,” the DCP added.

On February 8, astatine astir 8 pm, astir 25 radical clad successful achromatic azygous barged into the residence of C S Rangarajan, the main clergyman of the celebrated Chilkur Balaji temple. They demanded his enactment financially and besides asked him to enlistee radical into the ‘Rama Rajyam Army’.

In his complaint, Rangarajan said the main accused, Veera Raghava Reddy, called himself the incarnation of Mukkanti (Lord Shiva) and landed beardown blows connected his look and assemblage arsenic 3 to 4 of his followers joined him. “They recorded the full happening with compartment telephone cameras… They threatened maine with dire consequences if I did not perceive to them, and the effect would beryllium dangerous… They besides asked maine to enlistee radical for his Sainyam (army) and enactment his causes monetarily,” Rangarajan further said.

He said his disciples recovered retired that successful galore videos connected societal media, the accused was claiming that helium could spell to immoderate grade and adjacent instrumentality people’s lives if required. “If specified persons are allowed to make a parallel service similar Naxals successful the sanction of Rama Sena it volition beryllium dangerous,” Rangarajan added successful the complaint.

The alleged onslaught occurred connected February 7 and came to airy connected Sunday aft the main priest’s begetter and Temples Protection Movement convenor M V Soundararajan reached retired to the media.

He said a radical claiming to found its “version of Rama Rajya by forming backstage armies to punish those who bash not judge their ngo oregon agenda” was down the attack.

Moinabad constabulary inspector G Pavan Kumar Reddy told indianexpress.com that the main accused calls himself the ruler of the sainyam (army) dispersed crossed Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and that his connection unsocial should beryllium followed. “The radical has warned Rangarajan to judge their ngo earlier the Ugadi festival oregon look consequences,” the inspector further said.

He added that the main accused allegedly wanted Rangarajan to dispersed the connection of “dharma rakshana” (protection of religion) conscionable similar priests of different religions do.

The accused person been booked nether Sections 189(2) (unlawful assembly), 333 (house trespass), 308(5) (extortion), 115(2) (causing hurt), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 351(3) (threat involving death, grievous wounded oregon demolition of property) and 190 (applicable to each subordinate of the group) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.