TDP leader accuses Nellore police of 'detaining' man who sold 'herbal' Covid-cure

Nellore (Andhra Pradesh) [India], May 29 (ANI): Ayurvedic practitioner Bonigi Anandaiah who distributed a "herbal medicine" as "cure for COVID-19" in Nellore's Krishnapatnam town has been detained by district police, a TDP leader said.
TDP leader Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy on Friday claimed the Ayurvedic practitioner Anandaiah was detained by police for "security reasons."
"This is how police provides protection to the politicians or businessmen. The police stay at the person's residence when they provide security to the person. The person is not taken away from his home to provide him protection" Reddy said.
The Nellore Police took Ayurvedic practitioner Bonigi Anandaiah away on May 21 on the pretext of providing security. He returned to his home on Friday but was taken away after few hours of his return citing security reasons.
The TDP leader also alleged that Anandaiah was forced to prepare thousands of doses of his "ayurvedic concoction", at the behest of the local YSRCP MLA, who was selling the medicine.
Reddy also questioned the actions of district collector and SP with respect to Anandaiah.
"If you want to give security to Anandaiah, place two constables at his house. Detaining him under the pretext of security is not correct," Reddy said.
The TDP leader also demanded that the state government should take responsibility if anything untoward happens to Anandaiah due to the undue pressure being imposed on him.
The Ayurvedic practitioner Anandaiah came into limelight after thousands of people flocked to Krishnapatnam where he was distributing the 'herbal medicine' for free of cost claiming that it would prevent people from contracting COVID-19.
The Nellore District Administration on May 21 stopped the distribution of his "herbal medicine".
The Nellore District Collector KVN Chakradhar Babu in a video message had said that samples of the 'herbal preparation' have sent to a lab in Hyderabad for analysis. He further said that the state government has decided to rope in the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for a deeper analysis of the issue. (ANI)