Andhra minister's son booked for harassing woman

Hyderabad, March 5  Hyderabad police on Saturday booked an Andhra Pradesh minister's son and his driver for misbehaving with a woman.

Ravela Sushil -- son of Andhra Pradesh Minister for Social and Tribal Welfare Ravela Kishore Babu -- and his driver Ramesh were booked for stalking under section 354(D) of the Nirbhaya Act.

The action came within hours after police served notice to Sushil under section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Sushil has been asked to appear before Banjara Hills police station. 

Deputy Commissioner of Police Venkateswar Rao said that if he failed to appear within 48 hours, action will be taken according to the law.

The police officer denied that there was any attempt to shield the minister's son in the case. 

Two police teams have also been constituted to track him down.

The police swung into action after women's groups threatened to launch an agitation if Sushil was not booked and arrested.

Another police officer said the minister conveyed to the police that his son was ready to give himself up before the police.

Earlier, a case for harassing a woman was registered on Friday against Sushil's driver M. Appa Rao.

The incident had occurred on Thursday evening in posh Banjara Hills neighbourhood when Sushil, sitting in his car, allegedly intercepted a woman, held her hand and tried to drag her inside.

The woman said the driver passed lewd comments and both of them asked her to sit in the car.

After the woman called for help, locals manhandled the two. Both were later brought to the police station.

On her complaint, police registered an FIR only against driver Appa Rao but let off Sushil.

Some television channels broke the story on Friday and reported that the minister's son was not named in the FIR.

A counter-case has been registered against the mob on a complaint by Appa Rao who alleged that his owner's son was attacked by a few people.

Meanwhile, women's organisations have demanded the immediate arrest of Sushil. Banjara Hills division corporator Vijayalaxmi met senior police officials and demanded that the minister's son be booked and arrested.

Vijayalaxmi, who belongs to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), said that if no action was taken immediately against the minister's son, women would launch a massive agitation.

Meanwhile, the minister said whether the crime took place or not will be established during police investigation.

Kishore Babu has made it clear that nobody will interfere in the case.

"I have full faith in the law and the Constitution," he said.