No, video doesn't show YSRCP leader 'assaulting electricity department official' in Andhra

What is the claim?

A 20-second video circulating on social media claims to show a leader of the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), known as “Konda Reddy,” and his supporters attacking an electricity department official. The video is accompanied by posts alleging that the altercation occurred when the official questioned the non-payment of electricity bills over the past four months.

In the video, a young man in white is seen striking another man while bystanders attempt to intervene. One post (archived here) garnered over 168,000 views on X (formerly Twitter), and an archive of similar posts can be found here, here, and here.

Screenshot of the claim circulating on social media (Source: X/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, our investigation reveals that the claim is false. The incident actually took place in Hyderabad, Telangana, not Andhra Pradesh, and does not involve a YSRCP leader.

What we found

Through reverse image and a Google search searches, we discovered that the video was widely shared on social media on July 19, 2024. The footage was identified as depicting an incident in Moti Nagar, Hyderabad, under the jurisdiction of the Sanath Nagar Police Station.

News reports from the Deccan Chronicle, Times of India, and regional outlet Disha Daily included images similar to those in the viral video.

Comparison of screenshots from the viral video and the Deccan Chronicle report (Source: X/Deccan Chronicle)

According to the Times of India, two electricity department staff members were assaulted by T. Muralidhar Rao, a 20-year-old engineering student, in the Moti Nagar area. The altercation began when the staff visited Rao’s residence to address overdue electricity bills, leading to the disconnection of service.

Sub-Inspector K. Harish of the Sanath Nagar Police Station confirmed the details to Logically Facts: “The incident occurred in Moti Nagar within our jurisdiction. The accused is a student who attacked the electricity staff while they were performing their duties. This incident is unrelated to Andhra Pradesh.”

The sub-inspector declined to comment on the political affiliations of the accused or his family as the investigation is ongoing.

We also reviewed the First Information Report (FIR) registered on July 18, 2024, based on the complaint by one of the staff members. The FIR details are as follows:

• The incident occurred on July 18, 2024, at around 1:30 p.m. in Moti Nagar, Hyderabad. 

• Line inspector H. Srikanth and meter reader P Sai Ganesh visited Venkataswamy Rao’s residence to collect and clear pending dues amounting to Rs 6,858. 

• An altercation broke out upon discussion of the non-payment of dues when Venkataswamy’s son attacked Sai Ganesh and Srikanth, who sustained injuries.

No official reports have linked the incident to a YSRCP leader named Konda Reddy.

The verdict

The video, which depicts an altercation between a student and electricity department officials in Hyderabad, has been misleadingly used to claim that YSRCP leader Konda Reddy was involved in assaulting electricity department staff in Andhra Pradesh. Official records identify the perpetrator as a student from Telangana.