TRS MLA Shankar Nayak arrested for misbehaving with woman collector

Hyderabad : The police on Thursday have arrested a legislator of the ruling TRS party for his alleged rash behaviour with a woman collector of Mahabubabad district in Telangana.

At a public meeting organised during the programme to launch ‘Harita Haaram’ (a massive plantation programme) in Mahabubabad yesterday, the local MLA, B Shankar Nayak, allegedly behaved in a rude manner with the collector. The collector later complained to police after which a case was registered against the legislator, a senior police official told PTI.

The Mahabubabad town police last night registered the case against Nayak under IPC sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman).

If convicted under section 354, a person shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both. Local TV channels aired a footage which purportedly showed the MLA allegedly touching the collector’s arm.

The MLA denied any wrongdoing on his part and said he respected the collector and apologised to her.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had yesterday expressed anger over the alleged rash behaviour of his party MLA at the official event. The chief minister instructed the legislator to personally meet the collector and tender an unconditional apology to her.

Rao warned the MLA that if he does not change his behaviour, he would be suspended from the party.
The CM also asked Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari and TRS MP Sitaram Naik “to speak to the collector and settle the matter on behalf of the government and the TRS”, and said such incidents should not recur.