Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh’s home ministry issued 22 government orders directing the Director General of Police to withdraw prosecution against 21 Telugu Desam ministers and legislators, including those charged with serious offences such as attempt to rape, kidnap, and molestation.
Cases against actor and MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna, and ministers Kinjarapu Atchannaidu and Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao, were dropped.
These cases exclude those that were filed during the Seemandhra movement. A majority of government orders directing the police to withdraw cases were issued between January and February 2019, just days before the model code of conduct was imposed in the state.
This newspaper has accessed the 22 GOs issued by the AP home ministry between 2014 and 2019. Among the 22, the direction to withdraw cases against Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, minister for labour & employment, was issued in 2015. The case of Crl.M.P.No.6 of 2014 under Sections 354, causing harm-323, criminal intimidation- 506(1) &(2) were dropped against the minister. The TD minister was also booked for using criminal force against women with intent to outrage her modesty.
Prosecution has been dropped against legislators and former legislators Nakka Ananda Babu, TD MLA from Vemuru Assembly constituency in Guntur district, T.V. Rama Rao, former MLA from Kovvur in West Godavari district, A. Ananda Rao, MLA, and others, for rioting under sections 147, 427, and 341 of the Indian Penal Code, and M. Shajahan Basha, former MLA from Chittoor district. On September 24, 2018, AP passed an order directing the DGP to withdraw prosecution against MLAs and MLCs involved in crimes under sections 143, 188, 447, 186, and 506 read with sections 149 and 353 of the IPC.
“In 2014 the AP government issued a GO for withdrawal of prosecution against the accused involved in 18 cases pending before various courts in Kurnool district. These cases were in an advanced stage of hearing and were against elected representatives’ kin.”
This was done to sympathise with the cadre.
