VIJAYAWADA: Where is PV Rajasekhar Joshi, brother of PV Ramesh, retired IAS officer and former additional chief secretary to the chief minister of AP?
Joshi has been missing ever since the Patamata police reportedly served a notice, asking him to appear before the investigation officer in a dowry harassment case. Joshi’s parents PV Subba Rao and Mani on Saturday alleged that their son was kidnapped from his residence the previous night by three men, who claimed to be CID officers. They are likely to file a man-missing complaint with the Vijayawada police.
Sources close to Joshi’s family said they are preparing to take legal recourse. “A complaint will be lodged with Vijayawada police to trace Joshi,” family members close to Subba Rao and Mani said. Joshi, a deputy manager with ONGC in Rajamahendravaram, had returned to his house in Vijayawada on Friday evening.
Speaking to TNIE, Vijayawada city police commissioner Kanthi Rana Tata refuted the allegations made by Joshi’s parents that Patamata police or APCID had taken him away. Tata, however, said Patamata police had visited Joshi’s parents in Hyderabad on January 20 to serve notices in the dowry harassment case. His parents refused to receive the notice.
However, there seems to be confusion among the police with some sources claiming that even Tata was unaware of Patamata police visiting Joshi’s residence. “Vijayawada CP was briefed later, after the issue came into light,” sources said.
Joshi’s wife Sandhya had in September 2018 lodged a complaint of dowry harassment with the Patamata police. The complainant said they had married in 1999, and Joshi was given `2 lakh in cash, household articles, four acres of mango orchard, and a car. She alleged that Joshi, his parents, and sister Aruna, started harassing her demanding more dowry. A case was registered against the four under the Dowry Prohibition Act.
Sources in the government expressed fear that the issue might bring disrepute to the State government and tarnish the image of the police. Ramesh refused to comment on the issue, but said his family has been anguished by the development.