TDP suspects conspiracy in missing evidence case

Nellore: TDP spokesperson Anam Venkata Ramana Reddy said the missing evidence from the court premises was a conspiracy and drama of police, who planned to protect Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy in crime No 521/16. Addressing media here on Sunday, he wondered how the evidence material kept in the police station safely, was stolen from the district court. He blamed the Nellore SP Vijaya Rao for acting hand in glove with Minister Kakani to save him from the case. The TDP leader said Principal District Judge Dr C Yamini was not satisfied with the information and the way the investigation was conducted by the police and had written to the High Court regarding the lapses and the tardy progress of investigation.

The judge clearly stated in her letter dated April 15, 2022, to the Registrar, Vigilance, High Court that fingerprints of main door and footprint impressions were also not taken, and the dog squad was not pressed into service to track the culprits, he explained. He recalled that the case was about an accusation made by Kakani against former Minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy for allegedly violating the FERA guidelines and amassing properties in Malaysia and Singapore. Kakani produced documents earlier as proof of violations and after a thorough inquiry, the police arrested the perpetrators, who had forged the documents and collected laptops, tablets, rubber stamps, letterheads and emigration documents from them. Subsequently, Kakani got a berth as Agriculture Minister in the Cabinet reshuffle and the court robbery incident took place two days after he was sworn in as Minister.

Anam said in a press conference the police produced two people before the media and displayed the recovered material and other incriminating documents as per FIR number 112/2022 of Chinna Bazar Police Station. The recovered laptop and Samsung tablet did not contain any data regarding case number 521/16 and objections were filed by the lawyers representing Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy and verified in the presence of the Fourth Additional Magistrate. The presiding judge had ordered an internal investigation and reconstruction of stolen property records, which revealed that as per district court records, the incriminating evidence was in the safe custody of concerned police station. Dr Yamini wrote a letter on April 22 to the High Court about the facts.He requested the government to send the SP to vacancy reserve (VR) so that the CBI would have a level-playing field to investigate and reveal the truth. He requested chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy to immediately sack Kakani Govardhan Reddy till the completion of probe.

It may be recalled that the HC division bench consisting of Chief Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Judge DVSS Somayajulu issued orders in suo motu writ petition on November 24, directing the police to hand over the case to CBI for further investigation.