Khushi Gupta
Published on: April 16, 2022 at IST
A bag was stolen from the fourth Additional Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Nellore containing a Laptop, iPad, and three Cell Phones, all belonging to newly appointed State Agriculture Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy. It also had part of ‘Evidence’ against him in a Forgery and Defamation Case.
An Officer at the Local Police Station where the Complaint of Theft was filed by a Court clerk said, “They discarded the empty bag near the Court. The two detained persons are being questioned. We hope to catch the Main Culprits soon”.
The Defamation Case against Govardhan Reddy was filed by then TDP minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy in December 2016 as he had Accused Somireddy of retaining assets worth Rs. 1,000 Crore, including properties in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.
“He displayed in Public the Purported Documents of the properties I allegedly bought. I challenged him to prove his Allegations in Court, and it turned out that the Documents were Forged. I filed a Police Complaint,” said Somireddy.
“In January this year, the Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party Government filed a Petition in the Special Court that is trying Cases against elected representatives at Vijayawada, seeking to withdraw the Case against Govardhan Reddy. The Court rejected the Petition… The Case has been listed for hearing in June. The bag containing the Electronic Evidence that showed Govardhan Reddy Forged the Documents was at the Nellore Court. That has been stolen now. Isn’t it surprising that only the bag containing the Evidence has been stolen and nothing else,” he stated.
A Police Officer confirmed that the stolen bag contained the Case Evidence. When contacted, Govardhan Reddy declined to comment.
TDP Public Accounts Committee Chairman Payyavula Keshav sought a Suo Motu Case to Investigate the Theft. The Judiciary should take a very serious view of the Incident, he said.
