Amaravati, March 16 (NationPress) The wife of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council member Anantha Uday Bhaskar, Lakshmi Durga, appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Monday to provide testimony in the investigation regarding the murder of his former driver.

Under the directive of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, she attended the inquiry in Kakinada, where she was interrogated by investigating officer Manish Patil Devraj after being dropped off at the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) office by her husband.

The High Court instructed her to present herself to the SIT between March 16 and March 30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This order was issued following her plea to cancel a non-bailable warrant against her, which had been issued by the Special SC/ST Court in Rajamahendravaram.

In a supplementary charge sheet filed last month, the SIT indicated that Lakshmi Durga was implicated in the 2022 murder of Dalit youth Veedhi Subrahmanyam. Consequently, she was designated as the second accused in the case, with a non-bailable warrant issued against her a week ago.

MLC Anantha Uday Bhaskar, also referred to as Anantha Babu, is the primary accused, facing allegations of murdering his former driver, Subrahmanyam, and subsequently transporting the body to the victim's family home.

The deceased, Subrahmanyam, aged 34, was discovered dead under suspicious circumstances in Kakinada on May 19, 2022. The MLC allegedly conveyed the body to the victim's parents around 2 a.m., asserting that it was the result of a road accident.

However, the family suspected foul play and declined to accept the body, sparking protests from the victim's relatives and Dalit organizations.

It was claimed that Anantha Babu had pushed Subrahmanyam during a dispute, leading to his fatal fall, and inflicted additional injuries to make it appear as an accident.

Following his arrest, the YSR Congress Party suspended him. After the investigating officer failed to submit the charge sheet within the required 90 days, he was granted default bail in December 2022.

Upon the TDP-led coalition government taking power in June 2024, a decision was made to re-examine the case, appointing IPS officer and current Kakinada DSP Manish Devraj Patil as the investigation officer.

In July 2025, the SC/ST Special Court mandated a re-investigation. Although Anantha Babu appealed the order in the High Court, it stayed the lower court's directive for a supplementary chargesheet to be filed within 90 days.

The supplementary chargesheet revealed that footage from various locations in Kakinada showed both Anantha Babu and his wife near a guest house, where the alleged murder occurred.

Authorities noted that the MLC's vehicle made questionable stops for over an hour on a dark stretch adjacent to the guest house.

Recently, the Supreme Court remarked on a clear “nexus between police and power” in this case, indicating that the police had attempted to assist Anantha Uday Bhaskar in obtaining bail.

In response, the state government suspended four police officers for their failings in the investigation that resulted in the MLC's release.