Andhra Pradesh: crucial documents go missing from court in Nellore

They pertain to a defamation case filed by TDP leader against a Minister; Opposition demands high-level probe

Superintendent of Police Ch. Vijaya Rao overseeing the probe into the theft of documents at the court complex in Nellore on Friday.

In a first-of-its-kind incident, documents relating to a defamation case filed against Agriculture Minister and Sarvepalli MLA Kakani Govardhan Reddy were stolen from a city court.

On a complaint lodged by the staff of the IV Additional Judicial Magistrate Court, the city police on Friday cordoned off the court premises and launched a probe into the alleged theft of the crucial documents, iPad, mobile phones, and forensic reports.

The case pertained to the alleged forged documents submitted by the accused, who included Mr. Govardhan Reddy, to substantiate that TDP leader Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy had assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Mr. Chandramohan Reddy, who was then a Minister in the TDP government, had filed a defamation suit in 2017 following the allegation.

Seeing a criminal conspiracy behind the incident, the TDP demanded a high-level probe into it under the direct supervision of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

“If the present trend continues, persons accused in cases will go unpunished,” Mr. Chandramohan Reddy said, and demanded cancellation of the conditional bail granted by the Supreme Court to the accused in the case.

BJP Nellore district president G. Bharat Kumar demanded a judicial probe by a High Court Judge into the incident.

Mr. Govardhan Reddy, who was recently inducted into the State Cabinet, owed an explanation to the people as the trial in the case was all set to pick up pace in June.

Thorough probe under way: SP

Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police Ch. Vijaya Rao asserted that those responsible for the theft would be brought to book after a thorough investigation.

Visiting the city court complex to coordinate the probe by a Special Investigation team (SIT), Mr. Vijaya Rao said evidence would be gathered in a scientific manner and those responsible would not be spared. “The probe is being carried out in all angles,” he told the media later.

Earlier, the Chinna Bazaar Police registered a case under IPC Sections 457 and 380, and gathered clues from the scene of offence.

‘Cancel bail’

Meanwhile, TDP leader and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman Payyavula Keshav urged the Andhra Pradesh High Court to take suo motu notice of the incident.

Addressing a virtual press conference from Amaravati, the TDP leader demanded cancellation of bail to the accused in the case.

“It is anybody’s guess as to who will benefit from the theft of the documents shown as evidence in the chargesheet filed against Mr. Govardhan Reddy,” Mr. Keshav said.

The judiciary should take a serious view of the theft, he said, and added that this was the first time in the country that documents were stolen from the court.

“If the perpetrators are not punished, it will set a wrong precedent for the offenders and criminals,” the TDP leader opined.

He further alleged that it had become a habit to attack the courts and the judiciary ever since the YSRCP government came to power in the State.