Special Court Dismisses YSRCP MLC Anantha Babu’s Petition

Rajahmundry: A special SC/ST Court dismissed the petition filed by YSRCP Kakinada MLC Anantha Udaya Bhaskar (Ananta Babu), seeking removal of his wife’s name Anantha Lakshmi Durga from the indictment, stating that the former auto driver had nothing to do with the 2022 murder case. The court rejected his request to remove him from the chargesheet filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT). In the indictment, Anantha Babu is listed as Accused 1 (A1) while his wife Lakshmi Durga is listed as Accused 2 (A2).

It may be recalled that former YSRCP leader Anantha Babu was accused of murdering his former driver Veedhi Subhramanyam, a Dalit man, on May 19, 2022, for not repaying a loan of Rs 20,000 and tried to make it look like an accident.

Subrahmanyam’s high-profile murder case has seen intense legal developments, including a Supreme Court review into a contact accused by the police and granted bail in the case, and a fresh investigation into the MLC’s wife. In February 2026, the Supreme Court issued deadlines to complete the speedy trial by November 30, 2026.

After flaws in the initial investigation, the SIT formed took over and intensified the investigation. Based on CCTV footage and other evidence, the SIT questioned Lakshmi Durga for seven hours in March 2026 regarding her alleged involvement in the incident.

Since the deceased driver was a Dalit, a special court dealing with SC/ST cases had earlier sought a supplementary chargesheet with evidence of the MLC and his wife’s presence at the scene. In March, the court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Lakshmi Durga in the case.