Andhra Pradesh Police arrested YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader and former MLA Shaik Mohammed Mustafa in connection with an alleged kidnapping case on Monday night, detaining him in Gujarat through a police team dispatched from Nuzvid. Mustafa, who represented the Guntur East constituency, and his son Basheer face charges of kidnapping a tobacco trader's son and two others amid a dispute over a tobacco procurement transaction. The YSRCP swiftly condemned the arrest, calling it political vendetta orchestrated by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition government.

What Led to the Arrest

According to police, the dispute originated when trader K. Suryachandram of Eluru district — who had previously supplied tobacco to Mustafa's godown in Guntur — stopped selling to the former MLA following a price drop. On Saturday night, Suryachandram's son Abhi, driver Balaraju, and G. Durga Rao were travelling to Guntur to sell tobacco to another company when they were allegedly intercepted at Nuzvid by Basheer and his associates.

The three men were allegedly held against their will over a demand for payment of dues, and their tobacco-laden vehicle was seized. Suryachandram claimed that when his son alerted him, he called Mustafa directly, and the former MLA allegedly threatened that the son would not be released unless Suryachandram arrived at the Guntur godown with the outstanding money.

Charges and Legal Provisions

A formal kidnapping case was registered against Mustafa and Basheer. Authorities also invoked provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, a step that, according to YSRCP, was deliberately included to complicate bail proceedings. The three alleged victims were subsequently released, but Mustafa and his son went absconding before their arrest. Their associates involved in the incident reportedly surrendered to police.

YSRCP Alleges Political Targeting

YSRCP president and former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that Mustafa and Basheer had already handed over the concerned person to police and were being falsely implicated. YSRCP Guntur District President and former minister Ambati Rambabu described the case as a fabricated criminal matter rooted in a routine business dispute involving an advance payment of ₹36 lakh for a tobacco transaction.

Rambabu alleged that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's coalition government was misusing police machinery to politically target YSRCP leaders after failing to confront the party through democratic means. He further alleged that police conducted late-night searches — between 9 pm and 10 pm — in plain clothes across nearly seven apartment complexes where Muslim women were residing, harassed families, and removed CCTV footage to conceal their actions.

Context and What Comes Next

The arrest comes amid a broader pattern of escalating political friction between the ruling TDP-led coalition and the YSRCP since the change of government in Andhra Pradesh. This is not the first time opposition leaders have accused the current administration of deploying law enforcement selectively against political rivals — a charge the government has not publicly addressed in this instance.

With Mustafa now in custody, legal proceedings are expected to determine the bail question, complicated by the SC/ST Atrocities Act provisions. The case is likely to remain a flashpoint between the two parties as it moves through the courts.