Hyderabad, Nov 3 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh High Court Tuesday stayed the arrest of a woman Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator who was allegedly responsible for the death of an agricultural officer.
The court directed the police not to arrest Sita Dayakar Reddy till further orders. The legislator from Devarkadra in Mahabubnagar district, also the president of the women’s unit of the TDP, faces charges of abetment to suicide in the case of B. Rajeswari, an agricultural officer. Two others were booked with her.

Rajeswari, who was physically challenged, had set herself ablaze on Oct 14 in Mahabubnagar district and died four days later at a Hyderabad hospital.

In her dying statement recorded before a magistrate, she alleged that the TDP legislator and two district and mandal level public representatives were mentally harassing her.

Police booked the legislator, Mandal Praja Parishad (MPP) member Bharathi Reddy and Zilla Parishad Territorial Committee (ZPTC) member Pradeep Goud for abetment of suicide, criminal intimidation and threat of injury to public servant.

Sita Dayakar Reddy, however, has denied the allegations and termed the case as politically motivated.