Raja Singh held under PD Act

Hyderabad: For the first time in the history of two Telugu States, the PD Act has been slapped against an MLA. The Hyderabad City Police, which acted in the most secretive manner, first slapped a notice on suspended BJP MLA Raja Singh at his residence and then arrested him and sent him to Cherlapalli Jail.

The police will now submit the report to the committee on the PD Act which will have to confirm the correctness of the arrest. If it approves, he may be in jail for about one year. The PD Act committee will meet once in three months to review.

The detenu T Raja Singh Lodh, it is alleged, has been habitually delivering provocative and inflammatory speeches and driving a wedge between communities leading to public disorder. The detenu has posted online an offensive video on August 22 on 'Shree Ram Channel Telangana', with the title 'Faruqui K Aaka Ithihaas Suniye' on YouTube against Prophet Mohammed, who is venerated by the Muslim community, with an intention to provoke all sections of people and thereby caused breach of peace," read a statement issued by the City Police.

The statement further read: "Singh reiterated the same on August 23 in front of electronic media when he was taken into custody that the police are making efforts to remove the YouTube content but that will not deter him from posting further speeches and videos."

Police officials said the MLA was allegedly involved in 101 criminal cases, including 18 communal cases, since 2004 in different police stations in the city. The Mangalhat police invoked the PD Act against Singh and he was soon taken into custody and shifted to prison.

A police team reached the MLA's office and issued two notices in connection with two cases booked against him in two police stations on charges of making hate speeches.

The police forces also took into preventive custody some of his followers who tried to obstruct the police from arresting Singh at his office. The entire area of the MLA's office in the Old City was cordoned off and also closed the shops to prevent untoward incidents. Section 144 was also clamped in the locality to check public gatherings and meetings by the local communities.