Hyderabad car crash: Cyberabad Police defend no-arrest call in MP's son case
Synopsis
A 26-year-old sales executive is dead, an Aston Martin is seized, and the son of a sitting MP walks free — legally, Cyberabad Police say. Their invocation of the Supreme Court's Arnesh Kumar guidelines may be procedurally sound, but it has done little to quiet a public that sees political insulation at work.
Key Takeaways
Bharathi Mukhi (26) was killed on 16 August after being run over by an Aston Martin near Inorbit Mall, Madhapur, Hyderabad .
The accused, Lingamaneni Sanjush (21) , is the son of Jana Sena MP Lingamaneni Ramesh .
A case under Section 106(1) BNS was registered at Madhapur Police Station ; alcohol and drug tests on the accused returned negative .
Cyberabad Police cited Section 35 BNSS and the Arnesh Kumar v.
State of Bihar Supreme Court ruling to justify not arresting the accused.
The accused was issued a notice requiring appearance and cooperation; the MVI report and FSL blood sample results are still awaited.
Police denied any extraneous influence, calling allegations of political bias 'incorrect and unwarranted.'
Cyberabad Police on Friday, 21 August defended their decision not to arrest Lingamaneni Sanjush (21), son of Jana Sena Member of Parliament Lingamaneni Ramesh, in connection with the death of a young woman allegedly crushed under his luxury car in Hyderabad. The police maintained that the decision was grounded in legal procedure and was not influenced by any external pressure.
What Happened on August 16
Bharathi Mukhi (26), a sales executive at a Lifestyle store in Inorbit Mall in the Madhapur IT corridor, was killed on 16 August after being run over by an Aston Martin car while crossing the road opposite the mall. The accused, Sanjush, was at the wheel at the time of the incident, according to police.
A case under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at Madhapur Police Station. The driver was immediately apprehended, subjected to preliminary tests for alcohol and drugs — both of which returned negative — and his blood samples were forwarded to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for further examination. The vehicle was seized and sent for a Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) inspection, the report for which is still awaited.
The Legal Basis for Not Arresting
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ritiraj explained that since the offence under Section 106(1) BNS carries a maximum punishment of five years — below the seven-year threshold — the Investigating Officer was legally required to assess the necessity of arrest under Section 35 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the principles laid down by the Supreme Court in the landmark Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar judgment.
'On an objective assessment of the material then available, no circumstances warranting the arrest of the accused were found to exist. Consequently, notice under Section 35 BNSS was issued to the accused, requiring his appearance and cooperation with the investigation,' the DCP said.
Police Push Back on Bias Allegations
Amid mounting public outrage and allegations that the accused was shielded due to his father's political standing, Cyberabad Police stated categorically that it is 'incorrect and unwarranted' to allege that the police refrained from arresting the accused under any extraneous influence. The DCP emphasised that the course adopted by the Investigating Officer was 'in accordance with the statutory mandate and the law laid down by the Supreme Court.'
This comes amid a broader pattern of public scrutiny over how cases involving politically connected individuals are handled by law enforcement in Telangana. Critics argue that the absence of an arrest — even when legally permissible — sends a troubling signal in high-profile cases.
What Happens Next
The investigation remains ongoing. The MVI report and other forensic evidence are yet to be collected and examined. Police stated that the necessity of arrest, if warranted by subsequently gathered material, will be considered strictly in accordance with law. The FSL blood sample report is also pending and could influence the course of the investigation.
Point of View
The optics of a notice-over-arrest decision carry real democratic weight. The police statement, while procedurally thorough, addresses the law and not the trust deficit. That gap is where accountability reporting must press harder.
NationPress
21 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Lingamaneni Sanjush and what is he accused of?
Lingamaneni Sanjush, 21, is the son of Jana Sena MP Lingamaneni Ramesh. He is accused of causing the death of Bharathi Mukhi, 26, by allegedly driving an Aston Martin in a rash and negligent manner near Inorbit Mall in Madhapur, Hyderabad, on 16 August.
Why was Lingamaneni Sanjush not arrested?
Cyberabad Police cited Section 35 of the BNSS and the Supreme Court's Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar ruling, which require an Investigating Officer to assess the necessity of arrest when the offence carries a maximum sentence of less than seven years. The offence registered — Section 106(1) BNS — carries a maximum of five years, and police said no circumstances warranting arrest were found at that stage of the investigation.
What is the current status of the investigation?
The investigation is ongoing. The Motor Vehicle Inspector report on the seized Aston Martin and the Forensic Science Laboratory results of the accused's blood samples are both pending. Police have said arrest remains an option if subsequent evidence warrants it.
Who was Bharathi Mukhi?
Bharathi Mukhi was a 26-year-old sales executive employed at a Lifestyle store inside Inorbit Mall in the Madhapur IT corridor of Hyderabad. She was killed on 16 August while crossing the road opposite the mall.
What legal provision was invoked in the case?
A case under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita — which covers causing death by negligence — was registered at Madhapur Police Station. The accused was issued a notice under Section 35 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita requiring his cooperation with the investigation.
