VIJAYAWADA: YSRCP MLC Anantha Babu allegedly tried to influence witnesses in the driver Subrahmanyam murder case.
According to sources, Anantha Babu, who is an accused in the driver Subrahmanyam murder case, allegedly tried to lure key witnesses by offering them large sums of money in a bid to weaken the case against him. The issue reportedly came to light after the victim’s brother, Naveen, alerted police about attempts to tamper with witnesses.
Acting on the tip-off, police launched a secret investigation, which revealed an alleged plan to influence witnesses through intermediaries.
Investigators said that on Tuesday night around 11 pm, witnesses were called to a private location, Sameera Residency, situated behind JNTU in Kakinada, through middlemen.
Four witnesses, including Arava Durga Shiva Prasad, Arava Manikanta, Sabalam Pawan Kumar and Mummidi Venkatesh, reportedly attended the meeting.
Police alleged that Anantha Babu’s associates, including Kadiyala Satish, Maganti Rambabu and Kadiyala Chinababu, played a key role in the operation. The middlemen allegedly offered Rs 3 lakh each to the witnesses, promising Rs 1 lakh as an advance and Rs 2 lakh later, in return for cooperating with the defence strategy.
The witnesses were reportedly asked not to completely change their statements, but to incorporate certain additional points. During the probe, the four witnesses reportedly disclosed the entire sequence of events to police and handed over the money they had received. Police have taken Anantha Babu’s associate Maganti Rambabu into custody for allegedly attempting to influence witnesses. Further investigation is underway.