Andhra police detain senior IPS officer in Mumbai-based actress Kadambari Jethwani case

In a dramatic development, Andhra Pradesh Police on Tuesday detained senior IPS officer PSR Anjaneyulu from his Hyderabad residence and transported him to the CID office in Vijayawada for questioning.

Anjaneyulu, who holds the rank of Director General and served as Intelligence Chief under the previous YSRCP government, was suspended last year in connection with a case involving Mumbai actress Kadambari Jethwani.

The controversy dates back to February 2024, when Jethwani was arrested following a complaint by YSRCP leader Kukkala Vidyasagar, who alleged she had defrauded him in a property deal. The actress later claimed police illegally confined her to a guest house for three days before moving her to remand.

In September 2024, months after the TDP-led NDA came to power in Andhra Pradesh, Anjaneyulu and two other IPS officers—Kanthi Rana Tata and Vishal Gunni—were suspended for alleged misconduct, abuse of power, and dereliction of duty in the Jethwani case. The suspension followed an inquiry ordered by the then DGP in August.

According to the government order issued last September, Anjaneyulu had summoned Kanthi Rana Tata and Vishal Gunni to the Chief Minister's Office on January 31, 2024, instructing them to arrest Jethwani despite no crime being registered against her at that time.

The FIR was only registered on February 2, 2024, at 6:30 AM, suggesting Anjaneyulu had initiated action based on incomplete information, abusing his authority and official position.

"He played a key role in fast-tracking the investigation without adequate scrutiny, which amounts to connivance and misuse of power," stated the suspension order.

Interestingly, Jethwani is the same actress who had filed a complaint against a prominent Mumbai industrialist in December 2023, alleging rape. After her release from police confinement in Vijayawada and return to Mumbai in March 2024, police there filed a closure report in the industrialist case, citing her failure to record a statement.

The arrest has ignited a political firestorm, with the ruling TDP and opposition YSRCP traded barbs.

Responding to the arrest of senior IPS officer, state home minister, Vangalapudi Anitha said no one is above the Law and slammed YSRCP. 

Talking to reporters on Tuesday she  hit out at the YSRCP for its double standards, saying, “Those who broke the law during the previous regime are now facing the consequences. We’re not arresting anyone without evidence. This government works transparently,” said Anitha. 

She challenged the YSRCP to introspect on why officials from their era are being arrested. “Even honest officers like Sri Lakshmi were jailed during Jagan’s rule. TDP leaders were hounded with fake cases then. Today, not a single official has been arrested due to our pressure—that alone proves our integrity,” she added. 

TDP senior MLA Dhulipalla Narendra defended the action, stating, "PSR Anjaneyulu acted not as a public servant, but as YSR Anjaneyulu, misusing power with arrogance and vengeance." He accused the former intelligence chief of systematically harassing TDP leaders, dissenting voices, and women by filing fabricated cases during his tenure.

Former minister and YSRCP leader Ambati Rambabu condemned the arrest as "continued political vendetta" and part of the "Red Book Governance" model allegedly implemented by the TDP-led coalition. "This incident confirms that the police machinery in Andhra Pradesh is no longer functioning independently—it is operating under the political control of Nara Lokesh and Chandrababu Naidu," Rambabu claimed.

He defended Anjaneyulu as a respected officer with decades of service, arguing that he was being targeted simply for serving under the previous YSRCP government. Rambabu characterized the case as lacking legal merit and driven purely by personal and political vendettas rather than responsible governance.