Konda Surekha’s daughter confronts police during late-night raid to arrest minister’s aide accused of extortion

A tense standoff unfolded at the residence of Telangana Endowments Minister Konda Surekha in Hyderabad late on Wednesday (October 15, 2025) night when police arrived to arrest her private Officer on Special Duty (OSD) N. Sumanth — who was recently sacked by the State government over allegations of extortion at gunpoint.

The police reached the minister’s residence based on information that Sumanth was present there. Upon noticing unknown persons entering the premises, Ms. Surekha’s daughter, Konda Sushmitha, came downstairs and questioned them. The officers identified themselves as police and said they had come to take Sumanth — accused of threatening employees of a private cement company for money — into custody. However, Sushmitha refused to let them in. Amid the tense exchange, Minister Surekha and Sumanth left the house together in a car, avoiding police.

Sources said the administration had taken a serious view of Sumanth’s alleged misconduct. Appointed as an OSD in the Pollution Control Board (PCB) and later deputed to the office of Minister Konda Surekha, he was removed from service after reports emerged that he had threatened several cement factory owners in the erstwhile Nalgonda district, demanding money and warning of punitive action through the PCB if his demands were not met.

Officials said that though allegations against Sumanth had been circulating for some time, his dismissal was finalised after fresh complaints from the cement industry surfaced earlier this week. The PCB Secretary issued formal orders on Tuesday terminating his services.

The police tried to arrest a day later, as part of a wider probe ordered by the government into allegations of extortion and abuse of authority by public officials.

Police officials meanwhile remained tight-lipped about the incident, confirming only that efforts are underway to trace Sumanth, who continues to evade arrest.