A Dalit magistrate, S Ramakrishna from Chittoor alleged that he was physically assaulted by YSRCP men, who were aides of Minister of Mines and Minerals Peddi Ramachandra Reddy. He claims this was over a row with his former colleague Justice C V Nagarjuna Reddy, who is presently the chairperson of Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission.
According to reports, on Wednesday, some men picked a fight with Ramakrishna at his residence in B Kothakota when he questioned the men while they were allegedly stealing his bricks, which he had stocked next to his residence for construction. Subsequently, Ramakrishna called the police. However, by the time police reached, the accused had fled.
The junior judge then approached B Kothakota police station to file a complaint about the attack. “When I was narrating the incident to the Sub Inspector, he received a call from Minister Peddi Ramachandra Reddy. The Minister asked him not to file a case so he left without taking my complaint,” Ramakrishna was quoted as saying to Andhrajyothy.
Besides Minister Ramachandra Reddy, Thamballapalle MLA P Dwarakanath Reddy was also involved in the attack, the magistrate alleged.
“The attack was motivated against the backdrop of an ongoing case between me and APERC chairman Justice CV Nagarjuna Reddy. The followers of the MLA and Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy were involved in the attack,” Ramakrishna told Deccan Chronicle.
According to Ramakrishna, Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy is the relative of Nagarjuna Reddy.
Nagarjuna Reddy faces accusations of ill-treating Ramakrishna, his subordinate in the judiciary, who has also accused the senior judge of discriminating against him for his caste.
In 2012, when Ramakrishna was posted as principal junior civil judge of Rayachoti in Kadapa, Ramakrishna allegedly found out that Nagarjuna Reddy’s brother Pavan Kumar Reddy, who was then working as an additional public prosecutor in Rayachoti court, was a despot. Pavan allegedly tried to kill his driver Ramanjulu by burning him alive. Ramakrishna recorded the driver’s dying declaration, in which he names Pavan. As Ramakrishna refused to remove Pavan’s name from the declaration, Nagarjuna Reddy allegedly bore a grudge against him and suspended him from his services, Ramakrishna said in his complaint to the then Chief Justice of India.
In this controversy, 61 MPs belonging to several parties, moved for the impeachment of Nagarjuna Reddy.
Meanwhile, Ramakrishna claims that he has been facing harassment since the case. He told Andhrajyothy that on September 9, 2019, there was a murder attempt on him in which a a tractor tried to run him over.
Denying the allegations of Ramakrishna, B Kothakota SI, Sunil Kumar said that Ramakrishna’s claims lacked clarity, and hence investigation could not be initiated.