The brutal murder of SC youth and driver Veedhi Subrahmanyam by YSRCP MLC Ananthababu and his body delivered to his doorstep has created a sensation not only in the state but also in the country. In a major setback to YSRCP, the Rajahmundry SC and ST court has given the green signal for further investigation of the case. Allegations have been made that the investigation into this extremely brutal incident was flawed during the YSRCP regime.
There has been severe criticism that the government as well as the police investigation officers tried their best to protect the accused. The Supreme Court granted default bail to the accused after the investigation officers delayed in submitting the evidence to the court within 90 days.
Subrahmanyam, who was a Dalit youth and worked as a driver for him, was brutally murdered by YSRCP MLC Ananth Satya Udaya Bhaskara Rao alias Ananthababu in Kakinada on May 19, 2022. The body was delivered to Subrahmanyam’s house in Kakinada. The YSRCP government tried to cover up the case from the beginning.
Three days after the murder, the Kakinada Sarpavaram police registered a case of suspicious death. The autopsy revealed 31 injuries and 3 internal injuries. The then Jagan government, which came down with protests and demands from family members, Dalit groups, and civil rights groups, arrested Ananthababu with guest manners on May 23, 2022 and produced him in court.
The suspicious death case was changed to a murder case and Ananthababu confessed to killing Subrahmanyam himself at a press conference in Kakinada. The conduct of the investigating officers was highly controversial and criticized. Although it was confirmed that there were 31 injuries and 3 internal injuries on Subrahmanyam’s body, there was strong opposition to including only Anantha Babu as an accused.
Subrahmanyam’s parents met CM Chandrababu Naidu and demanded justice. The coalition government ordered an investigation into the Subrahmanyam murder case. It appointed prominent lawyer Muppalla Subbarao to assist the prosecution. A special investigation team was formed under the leadership of Kakinada SP Bindu Madhav and ASP Manish Devaraj Patil.