DGP should monitor court theft case: Ramaiah
Thieves broke open court locker room
AMARAVATI: TDP politburo member Varla Ramaiah on Sunday urged the DGP of Andhra Pradesh to personally monitor the investigation into the theft of documentary evidence related to the forgery case against YSRCP Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy.
In a letter to the DGP here, Ramaiah said there was a criminal conspiracy behind the evidence theft by breaking the locks of the IV additional judicial magistrate’s court in Nellore district headquarters town. A discreet investigation was required considering the threat being posed to the judiciary as a whole.
The TDP leader told the DGP that a case was filed against Kakani Govardhan Reddy in 2017 for forging documents in the name of Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, a former Minister and Politburo member of Telugu Desam Party (TDP). The case is pending in the IV additional court and accordingly all the evidence was housed in the court locker room.
Ramaiah said on April 14, 2022, the court staff to their utter shock found the locker room broken open and documents, electronic gadgets and other evidence pertaining to the forgery case of A1 Kakani Govardhan Reddy were found stolen. Govardhan Reddy was sworn in as the Minister on April 11, 2022.
The TDP leader said the theft of the evidence against A1 Mr. Kakani Govardhan Reddy from the court locker room within two to three days after his taking oath in the Cabinet of Jagan Mohan Reddy, who also is facing trial in so many cases booked by the CBI, has raised many eyebrows. The entire episode appears to be a stage managed criminal conspiracy with mala-fide intentions.
Ramaiah said it was pertinent that Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy should come out clean in this case. The commission of theft of important evidence against the Minister, a senior politician and a powerful personality in the society, has to be treated as an attack on the judiciary.
The TDP leader expressed concern over deteriorating law and order even as the crime rate has increased. Anti-social elements and criminals were being protected by the ruling YSRCP. Stealing of evidence to escape from a crime has to be nipped in the bud. Or else such a modus operandi may turn into an escape mechanism for the accused facing such trials in the courts both within the State and other parts of the country.
Ramaiah stressed the need for the DGP to depute a senior officer exclusively for probing theft and also to closely supervise, guide and monitor the case without giving any scope for outside interference.