Amravati erupted in legal frenzy as police handcuffed YSR Congress MLC Anantha Babu outside Rajamahendravaram court. The Friday arrest caps a tense manhunt in the 2022 murder of his Dalit driver, Vedi Subrahmanyam, with fresh accusations of witness threats shaking the case anew.
As the court deliberated his bail cancellation plea, officers pounced immediately upon his exit. Co-accused wife Lakshmi Durga watched helplessly amid the chaos. Kakinada-bound now, Babu faces court over allegations he bribed and menaced key witnesses.
Four witnesses filed complaints on April 20 at Kakinada’s Sarapavaram station, detailing offers of cash to flip statements. Rejection led to death threats and forcible confinement for three in an apartment, they alleged. Police registered cases under witness tampering and intimidation statutes.
Special prosecutor Muppala Subbarao’s court plea highlighted bail breaches against Supreme Court guidelines. Babu’s real identity, Anantha Uday Bhaskar, links directly to the May 19, 2022, incident where Subrahmanyam, 34, met a dubious end.
Prosecutors claim Babu hauled the body home at 2 a.m., fabricating a road mishap story. Victim’s kin cried foul, igniting Dalit outrage and protests. YSRCP suspended him post-arrest, but default bail came in December 2022 sans timely charge sheet.
TDP alliance’s 2024 takeover prompted reinvestigation orders, echoed by SC/ST court in July 2025. With five police squads—including senior officers—tracking him for bail violations, this capture signals renewed momentum toward accountability in a case blending caste tensions, political clout, and alleged cover-ups.
