After the Supreme Court (SC) granted bail to YSRCP MLA Ananta Udaya Bhakar alias Ananta Babu (47), accused in the murder of his former driver Veedhi Subrahmanyam (23), a video of the disgraced MLA being given a rousing welcome after his release is going viral.

Ananta Babu had been in Rajahmundry Jail since last May after failing to secure bail in the Rajahmundry Court and AP High Court (HC) several times in the past. The Supreme Court granted bail saying that bail conditions will be determined by the trial court.

In October, his lawyers had argued for default bail in HC contending that police did not file the charge sheet within 90 days of arrest. Police told the HC they had filed the charge sheet within three months, but it was rejected due to ‘technical reasons’. After hearing both sides, the HC had refused to grant him bail. Earlier, Ananta Babu filed a bail petition three times in the district SC and ST Atrocity Court, but failed to secure bail.

It is not known on what grounds SC granted the conditional bail.

The Supreme Court also refused to entertain a petition filed by the victim’s mother against giving bail to Ananta Babu. She expressed the apprehension that the MLC, as an influential member of the society, could influence the witnesses in the case, if released on bail. While refusing to hear this petition, the SC adjourned the next hearing in the case till March, 2023. Off late, the SC has made a push to grant default bail to undertrials, including those accused of heinous offences.

The murder of Veedhi Subrahmanyam

YSRCP MLC Ananta Babu’s driver Veedhi Subrahmanyam’s murder on May 19 in Kakinada had created a major stir in Andhra Pradesh. After collecting all the evidence, a case of murder, SC/ST atrocity (the victim was from the SC community aka ‘dalit’) was registered against Ananta Babu, and he was suspended from YSRCP.

Nookaratnam, the mother of deceased Subrahmanyam, had alleged that her son was murdered after he was taken away from home by the MLC.

At the time, Kakinada DSP Ravindranath Babu told the media that the MLC has confessed to have committed the crime.

As per the MLC’s confessional statement that the police referred to, “On May 19, at 8 pm, Subrahmanyam consumed liquor at Srinagar area. By 10am, when he came to the road, Ananta Babu was going on the road by his car. He saw Subrahmanyam and called him. Both took tiffin near Janmabhoomi Park and later they went to Ananta Babu’s house at Sriram Nagar.”

“Before allowing Subrahmanyam to exit from the car, Ananta told him that his (Subrahmanyam) mother Nukaratnam was suffering as he was consuming a lot of liquor,” police said, quoting the MLC.

“I will not keep silent, if you consume liquor again,” Ananta Babu claimed to have told Subramanyam.

“The MLC also asked the ex-driver to pay him back the Rs 20,000 he had borrowed from him. Subrahmanyam told Ananta Babu he would clear his debt soon. In the process, a verbal fight took place between the two. Expressing anger, Ananta Babu caught Subrahmanyam by his neck and threw him to a distance. Subrahmanyam fell on a grill. Subrahmanyam again revolted against Ananta Babu and the MLC again raised him and threw him. Then, Subrahmanyam fell on the drainage system and had head injury,” police quoted the MLC as saying in his confession statement.

“Then the MLC carried Subrahmanyam in his car to the hospital. On the way, Subrahmanyam drank water. Meanwhile, the MLC noticed Subrahmanyam was dead. To create it as an accident, he was taken to a dumping yard and the MLC inflicted more injuries on him. Then the MLC phoned the family members of Subrahmanyam and he was taken to a private hospital where the death was declared,” the police said quoting from the confession report from the MLC.

“MLC Ananta Babu carried the body in his car and wanted to hand it over to the family members. But, the family members refused to accept the body and demanded of him to give the facts as to what had happened. Then, Ananta Babu fled from the spot in a scooter,’’  DSP Ravindranath Babu said.

Demand to transfer case to CBI

There are demands that the State government transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

“Ananta Satya Udaya Bhaskar has succeeded in getting the bail due to delay in filing the chargesheet and forensic report. The State government has been supporting the MLC in the case by delaying the investigation. The case should be transferred to the CBI. The family of the victim should be provided security as they would face threat from the MLC,” advocate Muppala Subba Rao said during a recent press conference.

Subramanyam’s parents Nookaratnam and Satyanarayana said that they were apprehending threat from Ananta Babu.