Bowing to the pressure of Congress Member of Lok Sabha from Vijaywada Lagdapati Rajagopal, the Andhra Pradesh government has agreed to shift him from Vijaywada to the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, Rajagopal's wife Padmasri held the police responsible for her husband's disappearance. She has filed a habeas corpus petition in Andhra Pradesh High Court, seeking court's direction to the police to produce the MP. The court has admitted the petition.
The industrialist-turned-politician Rajagopal, who created a sensation last night by "escaping" from the Vijaywada government hospital by giving slip to the police, was an indefinite fast for the last one week against the proposed bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
As the police has mounted a massive search for the missing MP, the Qualis vehicle in which he had had sped away was found in Vijayawada city, indicating that his might be hiding in the city itself.
Rajagopal, who was forcibly shifted to the Vijyawada Government Hospital on Friday night in view of deteriorating health condition, had refused to take any medical help and continued his indefinite fast. He laid down the condition that he be taken to the NIMS in Hyderabad.
Last night at 10: 30 pm, when the police was shifting him to NRI Hospital at Mangalgiri, 30 km from Vijaywada, he along with some his supporters managed to escape. According to eye-witnesses, the police allowed the MP to leave the place in his own vehicle along with supporters with an understanding that he would go to Mangalgiri hospital. But when he did not reach there till midnight, the police raised the alarm.
In Vijayawada, fisheries minister Paradhasardhi held a meeting with the police commissioner and other senior officials and has given an assurance that no fresh case will be booked against Rajagopal for escaping from the police custody.
Chief Minister K Rosaiah, who reviewed the situation with home minister Sabita Indra Reddy and other officials, has agreed to shift Rajagopal to Hyderabad. Officials said Rajagopal will be taken to Hyderabad as soon as he comes out of hiding.
The police so far was opposing the idea as it can create tension in the city and may lead to clashes between the opponents and the supporters of Telangana.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhara Rao, while he was on fast on to death, was also kept in NIMS under the observations of doctors.
Police officers suspended
In another related development, five police officers, including an assistant commissioner of police, have been suspended for "negligence".
The suspended included assistant commissioner of police, central zone, Vijaywada, AV Subba Rao, inspector of police K Dharmendra, circle inspector CH Lakshmipathi, sub inspector P Bhaskara Rao, detective sub-inspector RVS Kamalakar.
