Amaravati, February 20, 2026: The Supreme Court has sharply criticised the Andhra Pradesh police for a "clear nexus between power and police" in the investigation of a 2022 murder case.
YSRCP MLC Ananta Satya Udaya Bhaskar faces charges in the killing of his former driver, Veedhi Subramanyam, a 26-year-old Dalit youth, in Kakinada. The case also invokes the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant observed that investigators appeared to hobnob with the accused, delaying the chargesheet to enable default bail attempts. Bhaskar has remained on interim bail since late 2022.
The court set firm deadlines: probe wrap-up by March 31, charges framed by April 18, and full trial end by November 30, 2026. It assigned a senior judicial officer from the Andhra Pradesh High Court to oversee proceedings without stays.
