With the Kadambari Jethwani case taking a dramatic turn following the Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department’s latest report accusing her of blackmailing YSR Congress Party leader Kukkala Vidyasagar and extorting money from him, the Chandrababu Naidu government appears to have gone into defensive mode over the suspension of three IPS officers in the case.
The government is now trying to argue that the case against Mumbai-based model-turned-actress Kadambari Jethwani is separate from the allegations involving the three IPS officers — PSR Anjaneyulu, Vishal Gunni and Kanthi Rana Tata.
A government official clarified that the CID investigation had established the allegations in the first case based on technical and financial evidence.
That case relates to the personal relationship between Jethwani and Vidyasagar, their financial transactions, and allegations that she extorted money through threats and blackmail.
The CID has completed its investigation into this aspect and filed a chargesheet after collecting additional evidence relating to bank transactions worth around Rs 1.32 crore.
However, the government stressed that this case was entirely different from the one that led to the suspension of the three IPS officers.
The second case concerns allegations that senior police officers fabricated a false land dispute involving Jethwani and her elderly parents, resulting in their arrest and detention for more than 40 days before they secured bail.
According to the coalition government, the alleged false case was built around a claim that Jethwani had entered into a fake land sale agreement with associates of Vidyasagar in Kondapalli in NTR district.
The government alleged that the three senior IPS officers created the case on instructions from the then Chief Minister’s Office so that it could be registered within the jurisdiction of NTR district.
It said disciplinary proceedings were initiated against the officers because of serious procedural violations during the investigation of the alleged fabricated land case.
The CID reportedly found several irregularities, including the initiation of police action before the FIR was formally registered, unusually swift arrests, failure to conduct a proper preliminary inquiry, violations of the Code of Criminal Procedure, bypassing established legal procedures, and alleged misuse of official authority based on oral instructions.
Government sources emphasised that the suspension of the officers did not amount to giving Jethwani a clean chit in the blackmail case.
They said both cases had been handed over to the CID to ensure an impartial investigation.
