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YSRCP MLC Arrested for 'Witness Tampering' in 2022 Driver Murder Case
YSRCP MLC Ananta Satya Uday Bhaskar was arrested outside a district court for allegedly influencing witnesses in the 2022 murder of his driver Subrahmanyam. Police say he provided money to witnesses and pressured them to sign documents, with authorities registering a case for witness tampering. The timeline traces the 2022 death to an altercation over Rs 20,000 and subsequent allegations of mischaracterizing the incident as a road accident.
Why It Matters
The arrest highlights ongoing concerns about witness tampering in politically connected cases and the pursuit of accountability in a high-profile murder inquiry.
Timeline
3 Events
Arrest outside district court for witness tampering
April 24, 2026
Bhaskar was arrested outside a district court as he arrived for a hearing in connection with the same case. Police said he was taken into custody for attempting to influence witnesses in the 2022 murder case of Subrahmanyam, and a case was registered.
Alleged witness intimidation in Kakinada
April 20, 2026
The alleged witness intimidation incident occurred near an apartment in Siddartha Nagar, Kakinada. Police said Bhaskar allegedly gave Rs 1 lakh each to four witnesses, coercing them into signing documents and threatening them with death if they appeared before the court.
Death of Subrahmanyam in 2022 driver murder case
2022
Subrahmanyam, a Dalit driver employed by YSRCP MLC Ananta Satya Uday Bhaskar, died after an altercation over Rs 20,000 owed to Bhaskar. Bhaskar allegedly assaulted and pushed Subrahmanyam, who fell onto an iron grill and sustained a fatal head injury. Subrahmanyam was reportedly inebriated at the time. Bhaskar later allegedly tried to portray the death as a road accident rather than a murder.