Follow TNM’s WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court refused to grant stay on a lower court’s order which directed the Andhra police to reinvestigate YSR Congress Party ((YSRCP) MLC Ananta Uday Bhaskar for the murder of his former driver, a Dalit man. The Special Court for SC/ST cases directed for a supplementary chargesheet to be filed within 90 days.
The re-investigation, ordered by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) led state government. Bhaskar, an MLC from Kakinada district, is accused of murdering his former driver Veedhi Subrahmanyam in 2022. The MLC was accused of pushing the deceased during an argument, resulting in his fall and death on the night of May 19, 2022.
He was produced before the Special Mobile Judicial First class magistrate five days later. The then Kakinada Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ravindranath Babu told the media that MLC Ananta confessed to the crime.
The MLC was booked under Section 302 (punishment for murder), 201 (causing disapperance of evidence of offence or giving false information to screen offender) read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code and relevant section of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
According to DSP Ravindranath, MLC Anantha said in his confession statement that an altercation had taken place. The MLC had asked Veedhi to pay back Rs 20,000 that he had borrowed from Anantha. The fight escalated with Anantha Babu pushing Subrahmanyam who suffered a head injury.
“The head injury resulted in Veedhi’s death. To present it as an accident, Veedhi was taken to a dumping yard and the MLC inflicted more injuries on him. Then the MLC phoned the family members of Subrahmanyam and he was taken to a private hospital where the death was declared,” DSP Ravindranath told the media.
Following the arrest, the then ruling YSRCP suspended Anantha Babu. With the investigating officer unable to submit the chargesheet within 90 days, Anantha Babu was released on default bail in December 2022.
After coming to power in June 2024, the TDP-led coalition government decided to re-investigate the case. Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and incumbent Kakinada DSP Manish Devraj Patil was appointed as the investigation officer.