Daijiworld Media Network – Tadepalli

Tadepalli, May 4: Andhra Pradesh Police have arrested 10 YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) workers, including a local public representative, for damaging a helicopter during former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s visit to Sri Sathya Sai district last month.

The incident occurred on April 8 at Papireddypalli village, where Jagan arrived to console the family of a murdered party leader. In the commotion, YSRCP supporters breached the helipad barricades, and the helicopter's windshield was reportedly damaged, forcing Jagan to return to Bengaluru by road.

Police identified 19 suspects using CCTV footage and have sent teams to Bengaluru, Vijayawada, and Hyderabad to apprehend the remaining accused. The arrested individuals were medically examined and will be produced in court.

YSRCP slammed the state government for inadequate security arrangements despite Jagan being a Z-plus protectee. The party also alleged police misuse and political vendetta, with spokesperson Putta Siva Sankar Reddy accusing authorities of filing false cases against former MLA Topudurthi Prakash Reddy and his supporters.

The helicopter, owned by a Karnataka-based firm, is under investigation, with doubts raised over the windshield damage claim. Police have questioned both the pilot and co-pilot as part of the probe.