Hyderabad, Feb 17 (IANS): A Hyderabad court on Monday sent 'Rama Rajyam' organisation founder Kovvuri Veer Raghava Reddy to police custody in the case relating to the attack on Chilkur Balaji Temple head priest C. S. Rangarajan.

Police sought Raghava Reddy’s custody for a week but a Rajendranagar court sent him to police custody for three days only.

Raghava Reddy’s counsel opposed the petition for police custody and sought his release on bail. However, the court rejected the arguments and sent the accused to police custody.

Cyberabad police will question Raghava Reddy for three days from Tuesday. The questioning is expected to help police in further probing the motive and activities of the organisation.

Raghava Reddy, who is a native of East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, and 17 of his followers have been arrested by the police for the February 7 attack on Rangarajan, the chief priest of popular Chilkur Balaji Temple at Chilkur in Ranga Reddy district near Hyderabad.

Many of the accused reportedly told the police that they were lured into joining the organisation on the promise of financial support and food by Raghava Reddy.

Police said 20-25 people, clad in black uniforms, barged into the residence of Rangarajan at Chilkur and assaulted him. They demanded he support their organisation financially as well as recruit people into the “Rama Rajyam Army”. The matter came to light on February 8 after Rangarajan lodged a complaint.

Police said Raghava Reddy started "Rama Rajyam" in 2022 on social media platforms, including Facebook, and operated a YouTube channel. He posted Bhagavad Gita slokas and motivated people to join the Army to protect the Hindu religion. He also announced that individuals registering between September 1, 2024, and December 31, 2024, would be recruited into the "Rama Rajyam Army" with a salary of Rs 20,000.

In response to this post, 25 members first met the accused on January 24, 2025, at Tanuku. After four days of stay, they travelled to Kotappakonda, where they contributed Rs 2,000 each and had uniforms stitched by a local tailor.

Police said on February 6, after receiving the uniforms, they gathered in an independent house in Yapral, Hyderabad, and took photos and videos in uniform against the backdrop of the organisation's symbols. The next day they traveled to Chilkur in three vehicles and assaulted Rangarajan.