PIL filed on Kodela death

Hyderabad: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition has been filed in the Telangana High Court seeking a Court-monitored CBI investigation into all angles of former Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker, Kodela Siva Prasada Rao's cause of death.

A Guntur resident, Anil Kumar Borrugadda, who calls himself a public-spirited person involved in serving the public, has filed this petition in the Telangana High Court, as the death of Siva Prasada Rao occurred in Hyderabad and this court has jurisdiction to hear this petition, which is likely to come up in the coming week before the bench, headed by the Chief Justice.

The petitioner expressed apprehension that there is deep conspiracy involved in the death of the former Andhra Pradesh Speaker, Kodela Siva Prasada Rao who was found hanging on September 16th 2019 at his residence at Banjara Hills, Hyderabad. Around 11:00 am on that day when Vijayalakshmi, daughter of Kodela Siva Prasada Rao, went to the first floor of the house to inform Rao that she was taking her mother, Kodela Sasikala, to the hospital, she found that the doors were bolted from the inside. Since there was no response after repeatedly knocking, she realised that something was amiss and opened the window, only to find her father in a shocking state. Based on Vijayalakshmi’s complaint, the Banjara Hills Police Station registered a case u/s 174 Cr.P.C.(suspicious death). Apart from his wife and daughter, domestic helpers and security personnel were present in the house when the incident came to light, the petitioner stated.

Pointing to the complaint made by one of Kodela Siva Prasada Rao's relative, Kanthi Sai to the Guntur police requesting them to inquire into the role of Siva Prasada Rao's son in the murder, the petitioner asserts that the Late Siva Prasada Rao had in the past spoken about the physical and mental torture inflicted on him by his son Sivaram Krishna. He stated that Kanti Sai had questioned as to why the former speaker was taken to Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hospital for treatment when there were many super specialities hospitals in the vicinity.

Interestingly, the petitioner claims that the late Kodela Siva Prasada Rao was trying to get an appointment with senior BJP leaders, including union home minister Shri Amit Shah, as he was unhappy in the TDP. By this, it is clear that there is a political conspiracy angle also involved in the death of former Andhra Pradesh Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao, the petitioner claimed.

In view of this, to instil faith of the people in the criminal justice delivery system, there is a need for the Court to direct a court-monitored CBI investigation into all angles of the death of the late Kodela Siva Prasada Rao.