Andhra Pradesh is witnessing a political controversy after Jana Sena Party (JSP) legislator Arava Sridhar was booked in a woman government employee’s complaint of sexual harassment, physical abuse, and prolonged mental torture.
The allegations surfaced on Tuesday, January 27, after the woman released a video on social media, in which she accused the Railway Koduru MLA of exploiting and threatening her over nearly one-and-a-half years. Sridhar has not publicly responded to the accusations so far.
Police confirmed on Wednesday, January 28, that a case has been registered based on the woman’s complaint and that an investigation is underway. According to officials, the complainant alleged that the MLA misused his political position and influence to harass and exploit her.
In the video statement, the woman alleged that Sridhar had threatened her for over a year under the pretext of helping her secure employment. “I approached the MLA seeking help for a job. Instead, he used the situation to threaten and pressure me,” she alleged. She further claimed that she was repeatedly subjected to physical exploitation during this period.
The woman also alleged that she became pregnant and was later forced to undergo an abortion against her will. “He demanded that I divorce my husband, who works in the IT sector, and marry him,” she said in the video.
According to her, when she refused, the MLA allegedly contacted her husband and issued threats, leading to conflicts in her marriage. “He told me that I had to obey him because he is an MLA,” she alleged.
Following the allegations, the Jana Sena Party constituted a three-member internal committee to inquire into the matter. Party president Pawan Kalyan ordered the formation of the panel, political secretary P Hariprasad said in a statement. The committee comprises T Siva Shankar, Thamballapalli Ramadevi, and TC Varun.
According to the party, the MLA has been directed to appear before the committee and submit his explanation within seven days. “The committee will submit its report to the party leadership, which will take a decision based on its findings,” the statement said. Until the inquiry is completed, Arava Sridhar has been asked to stay away from party programmes and activities.
Meanwhile, Sridhar’s family has strongly denied the allegations. His mother Prameela rejected the allegations and accused the woman of attempting to defame her son. “My son only helped her. He has not committed any wrongdoing,” she told the media.
Prameela alleged that the woman had developed closeness with her son by invoking shared caste identity and frequently visited their house, sometimes late at night. “She repeatedly called him at odd hours and later blackmailed him by insisting on marriage,” she alleged.
According to Prameela, the family had approached the police earlier regarding the woman’s conduct. She said a complaint was lodged with the District Superintendent of Police, following which the Railway Koduru police registered a case against the woman on January 7. Inspector Chandrasekhar confirmed that a case had been registered and said action would be taken according to the law.
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