KADAPA: YSRC MLC Ananta Udaya Bhaskar delivered the body of his former driver in a car to the residence of the latter’s parents at Ramaraopeta, saying he was killed in an accident. The driver’s family alleged that he was murdered. The deceased, 23-year-old Veedhi Subrahmanyam, had worked for MLC Ananta Udaya Bhaskar for five years before quitting three months ago.
Early on Friday, Udaya Bhaskar took Subrahmanyam’s body in a car to the apartment of the latter’s parents near Nukamamma Temple and informed them that he had met with an accident, and was declared dead on arrival by the doctors at Amrutha Hospital in the city. The body was taken home without conducting a post-mortem examination. The MLC left in another vehicle when the driver’s family refused to take the body out of the car. Later, police registered a case of suspicious death on a complaint by Veedhi Rathnam, Subrahmanyam’s mother.
Quoting her complaint, Additional SP (admin) P Srinivas said the driver had left home with a man identified as Manikanta around 9.30 pm on Thursday. Udaya Bhaskar rang up Subrahmanyam’s brother around 1.30 am, asking him to rush to Amrutha Hospital since the driver had met with an accident. “In a short while, he (the MLC) took the body to their apartment and informed the family that the doctors had declared Subrahmanyam was brought dead,” the officer told reporters.
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Speaking to the media, Ratnam and Subramanyam’s wife Aparna alleged that he was murdered as there were no injuries on the body. “The MLC did not explain when and how he had died. All he said was that after he had sent Subrahmanyam to buy tiffin, he received a call informing him that his driver was found unconscious after being involved in an accident. So, he brought the body to our home,” they said.
Ratnam added that her son had borrowed Rs 30,000 from the MLC before quitting his job. As Subramanyam could not repay the money, the MLC had warned him of dire consequences, she alleged.The family further said Subramanyam used to accompany Udaya Bhaskar, a resident of Rampachodavaram, in his frequent travels. Udaya Bhaskar did not hold a news conference as announced. When TNIE tried to contact him, he was unavailable for comments.
Meanwhile, Telugu Desam Party secretary Nara Lokesh called the bereaved family and assured them of justice. Jana Sena leaders Pantham Nanaji, Mutha Sashidar, Amalapuram former MP GV Harsha Kumar, and RPI State secretary Pitta Varaprasad visited the hospital. They staged a dharna at the mortuary in Kakinada GGH, demanding a judicial enquiry into Subramanyam’s death.