KAKINADA: Police have launched a search for YSRC MLC Ananta Udaya Bhaskar, the main suspect in the death of his former driver Veedhi Subrahmanyam, even as opposition parties held protests outside the government general hospital here, where the man’s body has been kept. Kakinada SP M Ravindranath Babu told reporters late on Saturday that the politician will be taken into custody. Police have also re-registered the case under IPC Section 302 (murder). It was initially registered under Section 174 (suspicious death) of CrPC.
The murder charge was added after Subrahmanyam’s relatives raised suspicion over his death, and held Bhaskar responsible for the untimely demise. The SP added that a case would be registered under SC/ST Atrocities (prevention) Act, after seeking legal opinion.
He said the family had not cooperated, delaying the inquest. “We will know the cause of death only after receiving the autopsy report, based on which we will proceed further.”Earlier in the day, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy ordered a thorough probe into Subrahmanyam’s death. The driver’s family had refused to give consent to perform post-mortem, demanding that the case be booked under murder instead of suspicious death.
The family also sought the arrest of the MLC. However, later in the night Subrahmanyam’s family gave their consent. Quoting the driver’s parents and friends, the SP said, Subrhamanyam had gone out with one Manikanta around 8:30 pm on Thursday. Around 9 pm, he rang up his mother to inform that he would be late. Around 10:30 pm, he was consuming liquor at Navabharat area with his friends. He went with MLC Udaya Bhaskar, after seeing him passing by.
“At 12:30 am, Subrahmanyam’s father received a call from the MLC stating that the former had met with an accident and he was going to that place. Later at 1:30 pm, Subrahmanyam’s younger brother Naveen received another call from the MLC, informing that he was taking Subrahmanyam to Amrutha Hospital, and asked him to reach there. At the hospital, doctors declared Subrahmanyam dead. The MLC, along with Naveen, and others, took the body to Subrahmanyam’s apartment. The family members questioned the MLC about the cause of the death. He left after staying there for some time, leaving his car behind,” the SP explained.
Speaking to reporters at SV University Senate Hall in Tirupati on Saturday afternoon, DGP KV Rajendranath Reddy said a case was already registered and that the department is waiting for the medical reports. He asserted that they are committed to conduct a fair probe and will not spare anyone involved.
Jai Bheem State president and former High Court Judge Jada Sravan Kumar welcomed the SP’s announcement and said an RDO had met Subrahmanyam’s family and assured government jobs to the victim’s wife Aparna, and his brother Anil.