Painter arrested for assault

HYDERABAD: City police on Thursday arrested the painter, who was in controversy for ‘adopting’ a Muslim girl after the August 2007 twin blasts in the city, for allegedly outraging the modesty of his brother’s wife and assaulting his brother in Shahinayathgunj. The painter’s wife, however, alleged that the people who opposed the adoption are behind the cases against her husband.Papa Lal had unofficially adopted a Muslim girl whose parents were killed in the 2007 blasts at the Gokul Chat Bhandar, Koti. The adoption was plunged in controversy with Papa Lal and his wife Jaya Sri, claiming that they were getting threat calls from certain groups from both communities to leave the child. According to Goshamahal ACP M Venkateshwara Rao, an argument broke out between Papa Lal and his sister-in-law Wednesday morning over some family issues. “Papa Lal dragged his sister-in-law by her hair and beat her up,” the ACP said. His brother Chandu Lal picked up a quarrel with Papa Lal  which came to fistfights. Following a complaint by Chandu Lal and his wife, police registered cases against Papa Lal following which he was arrested. Police said the case was not related to the adoption issue. “We have also arrested Chandu Lal based on Papa Lal’s complaint,” the ACP said.