Former minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Perni Nani's wife, Jayasudha, has moved an anticipatory bail petition at the Machilipatnam District Court. The anticipatory bail petition is linked to a case of theft of ration rice from a godown registered in her name. The police sought the court to grant anticipatory bail without arrest. According to reports, Perni Nani's family is reported to have gone into hiding following the registration of the case.
Perni Nani had rented a godown in Machilipatnam under his wife's name for use by the Civil Supplies Corporation. Civil Supplies officials complained that 3,708 bags of ration rice had gone missing from the godown. The police have registered a case and Jayasudha and godown manager Manas Teja were booked at the Machilipatnam Taluka Police Station. To avoid being arrested, Jayasudha had filed a petition for anticipatory bail, which has been sent to the 9th Additional District Court. According to reports, Magistrate Sujatha has scheduled the hearing for December 16.
The controversy has also raised a question over the Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) appointed for the case. Since he was appointed during the YSRCP regime, there is a potential question of conflict of interest on his part as he was close to Perni Nani. This has called for the appointment of a special APP as in other similar cases, including one involving former TDP leader Kollu Ravindra.
Ever since the case was registered, Perni Nani, his son Perni Kittu, and godown manager Manas Teja are not to be seen. Suspicion is that they may have gone underground to escape arrest. Notably, Perni Nani was absent from the YSRCP protest at the Collectorate, which he was supposed to lead. His son, who manages the party activities in the Bandaru constituency, too could not be traced. These speculations are making waves.
The Civil Supplies Department has initiated an in-depth investigation into the disappearance of 185 tonnes of ration rice from the godown. Questions are being raised about the number of missing bags—whether it is limited to 3,708 or more—and lapses in inspections that would have otherwise allowed such a discrepancy to go unnoticed. Krishna District Joint Collector Geetanjali Sharma is heading the inquiry along with the Civil Supplies officials to seek further details.
