Amaravati, July 22 (IANS) A Special Court for SC/ST cases in Rajamahendravaram town of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday allowed further investigation into the 2022 murder of a Dalit youth by YSRCP MLC Ananta Uday Bhaskar.

The court directed that the supplementary charge sheet in the case should be filed in 90 days.

The court order has cleared the way for re-investigation of the case ordered by the TDP-led NDA government.

YSRCP leader and Kakinada MLC Ananta Uday Bhaskar, also known as Ananta Babu, had allegedly murdered his former driver Veedhi Subrahmanyam, a Dalit, and dumped his body at his residence in 2022.

Ananta Babu had pushed the deceased during an argument, resulting in his fall and death on the night of May 19, 2022.

The MLC also allegedly inflicted injuries on Subrahmanyam’s body to present it as a death in a road accident. However, the driver’s family refused to believe his version and lodged a complaint with the police.

The MLC was arrested, and the YSRCP had subsequently suspended him from the party.

The MLC had told police that Subrahmanyam was in an inebriated condition, and he pulled him up for not giving up bad habits. This angered the driver, who questioned him. Enraged over this, the MLC held him by the neck and pushed. Subrahmanyam fell down and sustained head injuries. When the driver tried to hit back, the MLC pushed him again, and this time, the driver received a grievous head injury.

The MLC told police that he gave water to Subrahmanyam, but a few minutes after taking a sip, he was unresponsive. The legislator then thought of showing the incident as a road accident. He carried the body in the car to a dumping yard, where he inflicted injuries on the body with sticks.

The MLC later carried the body to Subrahmanyam’s house and told his family members that he died in a road accident. After seeing the nature of injuries on the body, they refused to believe his version. There was an argument between them, and the MLC subsequently left the place, leaving behind the body in his car.

As the investigation officer failed to submit the charge sheet within 90 days, Ananta Babu was released on default bail in December 2022.

After the TDP-led coalition government came to power last year, it decided to re-investigate the case.

In April this year, the government ordered re-investigation. Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and Kakinada DSP Manish Devraj Patil was appointed as the investigation officer.

The investigating officer was asked to take the court’s permission.

–IANS

ms/uk