Fact Check: Man who attacked police constable in Gudur has no political affiliation
On June 25, 2024, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, former Andhra Pradesh CM, sought recognition as the Leader of the Opposition.
Claim :
A police constable was attacked by a political party worker in Guduru, Andhra Pradesh.Fact :
The accused did not have any political affiliation
On June 25, 2024, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, former CM of Andhra Pradesh and president of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), addressed a letter to Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker.
In this backdrop, a 31-second video clip went viral on social media. In the video, a police officer is seen being attacked from behind with a stick. Later, another police officer comes to his rescue. The video appears to be CCTV footage, as suggested by the view angle and the text "CAM2" in the bottom part.
The users on social media shared it on their account With the Telugu text: “పోలీసులకు రక్షనే లేదు!!! గూడూరులో పోలీసు కానిస్టేబుల్ పై విచక్షణా రహితంగా దాడి చేస్తున్న వైసీపీ రౌడీ!!!
When we translated in English, it read: “There is no protection for the police!!! YCP bully attacking police constable in Guduru indiscriminately” !!!
While sharing the video another user wrote “పోలీసులను కొడుతున్న వైసీపీ గుండాలు” In English, it means “YCP gangsters beating the police”.
Fact Check: We found the claim is false. The person who attacked the cop is from West Bengal, and there is no political party involved in this matter.
During the reverse image search, we found on July 19, 2024, TV9 Telugu published a detailed article on this issue. “ A head constable on duty was attacked with a stick from behind at Sadhupeta Center in Guduru, Tirupati district. Scenes of the attack taluka were recorded in the CCTV camera. In the preliminary investigation, the accused has been identified as Laltu Kalindi from West Bengal. Shocking things came to light in the investigation. Police learnt that the accused becomes uncontrolled and even attacks, on seeing uniformed policemen.
The injured head constable has been identified as Swami Das. He works in Gudur rural police station. He was seriously injured in the attack by the thug and was immediately rushed to the Guduru Area Hospital. Later, he was shifted to Tirupati for advanced treatment. The police found that he had attacked the police in the past as well.
When we searched with the key words “Attack on Police Constable in Gudur”, we found the Deccan chronicle published “The incident happened when Das and another constable stopped their motorcycle to have tea at a local shop. As Das was entering the shop, he was suddenly struck from behind with a stick by 24-year-old Lalthu Kalindi, a man from West Bengal. The blow to the back of Das's head caused severe injury, causing him to collapse on the spot”. DC also published: “Witnessing the attack, the accompanying constable and local bystanders quickly apprehended the assailant. The suspect was immediately taken to the I Town police station. Meanwhile, the injured head constable was rushed to the Gudur Area Hospital. Due to the critical nature of his injuries, he was later shifted to Tirupati for advanced medical treatment”.
Surya Ready, a journalist shared on his X account: “A head #Constable was attacked from behind with a stick, while on duty in Sadhupeta Centre of #Gudur in Tirupati district, captured in CCTV. During the preliminary investigation, police were stunned to learn that the accused, Lalthu Kalindi, a resident of West Bengal, experiences a #Psychotic episode upon seeing police in uniform. The victim, identified as Swamy Dass, is a head constable at the Gudur Rural police station. The injured was rushed to the Gudur Area Hospital. Later, he was shifted to Tirupati for advanced medical treatment. The accused was arrested and a case has been registered and further investigation is underway.”
Hence, based on the above publication, we found the claim is false. We did not find any political link with the accused. According to the news article, the accused has a psychological problem.
