Guntur Woman Assault Case: TDP Ward Secretary and Seven Relatives Arrested

Police have arrested Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ward secretary Mallela Venkata Ramanamurthy and seven of his family members in connection with the alleged assault and humiliation of a woman in Nagarampalem, Guntur . The arrests were made following a complaint filed by the victim's family, with police stating that the incident was triggered by a dispute over an alleged demand for ₹10,000 .

According to investigators, the dispute began on July 15 when local resident Nageswara Rao was carrying out repairs to a borewell in front of his house at his own expense. During the work, Ramanamurthy allegedly demanded ₹10,000 from him. When Nageswara Rao refused, saying the repairs were a private undertaking and did not warrant any payment, an argument reportedly broke out between the two.

Police said tensions escalated later that evening. At around 8 p.m., Ramanamurthy allegedly returned to Nageswara Rao's residence along with several family members and relatives. The group is accused of entering the house and attacking members of the family. During the assault, the victim's wife was allegedly stripped and publicly humiliated , an act that has drawn widespread condemnation.

The family approached the police on July 16 , after which a case was registered and an investigation launched. Based on the complaint and preliminary findings, police arrested eight accused and booked them under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) , including offences related to trespassing, causing hurt, assaulting a woman with intent to outrage her modesty and acts intended to insult a woman's dignity. The accused are being produced before a court.

Reacting to the incident, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said he was deeply disturbed by the allegations and asserted that there could be "no compromise on the dignity of women." In a post on X, he said strict action had been ordered, a criminal case had been registered and the accused had been arrested. He also announced the suspension of the party functionary involved.

IT Minister Nara Lokesh later confirmed that Ramanamurthy had been suspended from all party positions with immediate effect. The Chief Minister further stated that the law would act impartially and firmly , regardless of political affiliations, and assured that no guilty person would receive protection.