Supreme Court castigates Andhra police for 'hobnobbing' with YSRCP's Ananta Bhaskar in murder case

"If the police are incapable, they can transfer this investigation to the CBI today," the court said.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday castigated the Andhra Pradesh Police for its lackadaisical role in the investigation in the 2022 murder case against YSRCP MLC Ananta Satya Udaya Bhaskar, finding that the police were “hobnobbing” with the accused and there was “complete collusion”.

After noting that the investigation has not been completed in four years, a bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi asked what authority the DGP has to continue in office, if he can't control the Superintendent of Police or the Investigating Officer.

"If the police are incapable, they can transfer this investigation to the CBI today," the bench said.

Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra for the state of Andhra Pradesh, said the supplementary charge sheet has been filed with all the documents.

A counsel, representing the mother of the deceased, said that the court has not yet taken cognisance of the charge sheet and the trial has not started, stressing that the trial must be expedited to conclude within six months, which will serve the victim's interest.

Luthra said the accused should remain in custody until the major witnesses are examined in the case.

Bhaskar is accused of killing his driver, Veedhi Subramanyam, a Dalit youth, in May 2022.

The victim's family said that the charge sheet filing was delayed to ensure accused got benefit of default bail. The High Court did not grant him bail following which, the matter reached the Supreme Court.

Luthra maintained that the investigation was taken seriously, and suggested that the probe was derailed, probably due to the accused's influence during the previous regime when his party was in power.

He said this file was revived after the government changed in 2024 and pointed out that a defective charge sheet was filed earlier.

The bench asked what action was taken against the police officers responsible for the faulty probe, and whether any show-cause notice was issued.

The bench expressed surprise that a bail matter has been kept pending for over four years after granting leave to appeal.

"In bail matter, what is the need to grant leave to appeal? Dispose it off with a one-line order,” the bench said.

“This again shows laxity, if not complicity, of the state police, with the accused exhibiting gross negligence in the matter of investigation of a heinous offence,” the bench added.

The court fixed timelines to ensure the trial is completed by November, 2026.

It also directed that further investigation has to be completed by March 31, framing of charges by April 18 and completion of prosecution evidence by August 31 so that the entire trial ends by November 30, 2026.

The court asked the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court to assign the matter to a senior judicial officer, who has to take up the matter on a weekly basis. The bench directed the portfolio judge of the high court to monitor the progress of the trial to ensure compliance with the timelines. The bench asked the High Court not to pass any interim order to stay the trial.

Bhaskar was granted interim bail by the apex court in December 2022.