AMARAVATI: A Mumbai-based model and actor, Kadambari Jethwani, who was allegedly arrested illegally by the Andhra Pradesh police, leading to the suspension of three senior IPS officers, has claimed that political influence and financial power were behind her detention in February this year.
Speaking to the media, Jethwani asserted that a false case was fabricated against her to coerce her into withdrawing a complaint she had lodged against a prominent corporate executive in Mumbai. She was held in prison in Andhra Pradesh for 42 days before being released on bail.
"I believe there is a lot of political manipulation, money, and power involved. Without that level of money and power, this level of orchestration, I would say, would not have happened... I do believe that a higher level of political influence and money and power are involved," Jethwani said.
The actress was arrested in February based on a complaint by K. Vidyasagar, a leader of the YSR Congress Party, without following proper procedures or registering an FIR. In response, the Andhra Pradesh government issued orders suspending three officials: former intelligence chief P.
Sitharama Anjaneyulu, then Vijayawada Police Commissioner Kranti Rana Tata, and Vishal Gunni, then Deputy Commissioner of Police (Vijayawada).
In her complaint, the actress accused the Andhra Pradesh police officials of threatening her with severe consequences under the previous government if she did not withdraw her case against a top executive of a corporate house in Mumbai. She claimed that the Andhra Pradesh police fabricated a false case to shield the businessman from her complaint.
The Andhra Pradesh state government recently suspended two additional officials based on her complaint. These three officials were among 16 IPS officers issued a memo on 14 August directing them to mark their attendance at the DGP's office twice daily, without being assigned any posts.