Ex-minister Viswarup’s son arrested in murder case

Rajamahendravaram: Andhra Pradesh police arrested Pinipe Srikanth, son of YSRCP leader and former minister Pinipe Viswarup in connection with the murder of a Dalit youth two years ago.

Srikanth was taken into custody by a team from AP police in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. He was brought to the state on a transit warrant.

He is said to be an accused in the murder of a Dalit youth and a village volunteer Janupalli Durga Prasad.

Police, who were on the lookout for Srikanth for the last few days, arrested him in Madurai and produced him before a local court to obtain a transit warrant. He was being brought to Konaseema district by road.

Srikanth denied the allegations against him. “I am a doctor. I know only saving lives and not taking lives,” he told media persons in Madurai while he was being taken away by the police after a medical examination at a hospital. He alleged that he was illegally arrested in the case.

Durga Prasad was killed on June 6, 2022, after the riots in Dr B R Ambedkar Konaseema district.

The police earlier questioned the victim’s friend and YSRCP social media convenor V Ramesh. He was arrested on October 18. The police were on the lookout for Srikanth and four other accused.

The deceased was said to be a friend of both Ramesh and Srikanth and was actively participating in the party activity. The motive behind the Dalit youth’s murder is not known. Police believe that he was killed with a well-planned conspiracy.

Ramesh had allegedly taken Durga Prasad to Kotipalli dock on a two-wheeler. They were followed by four men in a car. The victim was then taken onto the boat and the accused then strangulated Durga Prasad to death.

On a complaint by Durga Prasad’s family, police registered a missing case. Police later found his body and the autopsy revealed that he was murdered.

Viswarup was the transport minister in the previous government of YSRCP. His house in Amalapuram was set afire by a mob during the violence over the renaming of Konaseema district in May 2022. However, the YSRCP leader and his family members were not at home. Minister for labour and factories Vasamsetty Subhash alleged on Monday that Viswarup’s son was complicit in the murder. He claimed that Viswarup visited the victim’s family post-murder, offering them two acre land to avoid legal action. Subhash criticised Viswarup for using his ministerial position to obstruct the investigation.

Following the defeat of YSRCP, victims’ families have begun advocating for a swift investigation. Subhash stated that he personally escorted the victim’s family to higher police officials and demanded strict punishment for those found guilty in the case.