Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh Police on Wednesday transferred the murder case of Florida-based NRI businessman Chigurupati Jayaram to Telangana.This was announced by Director General of Andhra Pradesh Police R.P. Thakur. The decision was taken after the police took legal opinion as Jayaram was murdered in Hyderabad but his body was dumped in Andhra Pradesh.

The move came hours after Jayaram’s wife Padmashri lodged a complaint with Jubilee Hills police station in Hyderabad, demanding that they investigate the case as Jayaram was murdered in the city.The case was transferred to Telangana a day after the Andhra Pradesh Police presented the two accused before media persons.

Rakesh Reddy, a realtor and the main accused, and his driver Srinivas were presented in a court on Wednesday in Nandigama in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh. The court sent them to judicial custody for 14 days.

The body of Jayaram, 55, who was director of Coastal Bank, was found on the back seat of his car off the national highway near Nandiagama close to Vijayawada on January 31.The Andhra Pradesh Police said Jayaram was killed over a monetary dispute. It said Reddy murdered Jayaram as the latter had failed to repay a Rs 4 crore loan.

Jayaram, also a Managing Director of Express TV, a now defunct Telugu channel, had come to Hyderabad from the US a few days earlier.Reddy called him to a house in Jubliee Hills and killed him. He later shifted the body to Jayaram’s car and took it to Krishna district and left it in a field adjoining the national highway to make it appear like an accident.

Before shifting the body, Rakesh Reddy spoke to two police officials of Hyderabad over phone.Assistant Commissioner of Police Malla Reddy and Circle Inspector Srinivasulu were transferred after their names cropped up during the investigations.

Jayaram’s wife has also demanded a probe against his niece Shikha Chowdary, who was allegedly into a relationship with Rakesh Reddy.Jayaram’s wife said that after the murder, Shikha barged into their house in Jubilee Hills. She alleged that some key documents and valuables were missing.

YSR Congress party president and leader of opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy’s complaint to the Election Commission of India seeking replacement of police officers close to Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has kicked up a controversy.

Jagan has alleged that Naidu had indulged in gross favouritism by giving promotions to only those officers who belonged to his caste (read: Kamma), with an intention to misuse the police forces during the coming elections.

He gave a list of officials belonging to Kamma caste and urged the Election Commission to keep them away from election duty to ensure free and fair elections.

According to the sources, the list comprises more than 30 police officials of Kamma community, led by state intelligence chief A B Venkateswara Rao.

The list includes Gattamaneni Srinivasa Rao DIG L&O, N B M Murali Krishna, SDPO Nellore Town, Amarnath Naidu, DSP Intelligence, Liaison Officer to Nara Lokesh, Radhe Syam, SDPO Ongole, N Yugendar Babu, SDPO, Palamaneru, Chittoor, Nageswara Rao, ACP, Tirupati East, Ankineedu Prasad, ACP, Central Vijayawada city, K Ramesh Babu, ACP, North Vijayawada City, G Rama Krishna, ACP, Mangalagiri and G Poorna Chandra Rao, ACP, East Visakhapatnam City.

The other Kamma cops are: S Venkateshwara Rao, SDPO Kovvur, West Godavari dist, A S C Bose, SDPO, Nandigama, Krishna, Nimmagadda Rama Rao, DSP, Central Rajahmundry Urban, Bachupalli Srinivasa Rao, SDPO, Kurnool, D Sravan Kumar DSP Intelligence, Narra Venkateswara Rao, RIO, Intelligence Rajahmundry, Geeta, RIO, Intelligence, Vijayawada, Chenchu Babu, DSP Intelligence Nellore, Ramanjaneyulu DSP SB Guntur Urban, Jasti Venkata Ramana, DSP, Special Branch Guntur Rural, N T V Ram Kumar, DSP, Special Branch, Anantapuram, Nunna Murali Krishna, DSP, SC ST cell Kovvur, West Godavari, Mahesh, SDPO, Gudivada Krishna, Choudeswari, Addl SP, Anantapuram, Guntupalli Srinivas Rao, DSP Intelligence Visakhapatnam, Umamaheswara Rao, DSP Special Branch, Krishna Dist. Rayapati Srinivas DSP Intelligence, Guntur Dist, Vikram Srinivasa Rao, DSP, Intelligence, V V Naidu DSP Intelligence, A V R B Prasad, DSP, Y T Naidu, ASP, Guntur, Ramkumar, DSP, Special Branch, Nellore.

While it is an open secret that Naidu has posted senior cops from his caste in key positions, one wonders whether Jagan is justified to target just one community.

Going by the list, it appears that he has chosen even DSP and Reserve Inspector-level officials to target them because of their caste affiliation.

It also sends a wrong signal to the people that Jagan is anti-Kamma and that might lead to the allegation that he is creating Kamma-Reddy division in the bureaucracy and police forces.

“Jagan should not have mentioned the caste of the police officers while lodging a complaint with the EC, but to highlight the aspect that Naidu might misuse certain officers in the elections,” an analyst said.

Out of 129 Indian students detained in US for having secured a seat in a fake University, around 117 students have got huge relief after India has obtained consular access to them.

According to a statement issued by Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Embassy and consulates have managed to gain the consular access to 119 students who’re held in 36 different detention centres all over the country. The statement also added ”We remain in touch with the US officials, both at the federal and local level, to ensure and satisfy ourselves about humane and dignified treatment of our students and custom-sensitive dietary and living arrangements for them during the period of their detention.”

Our officials are on duty to obtain the consular access to 12 other Indians who’re left over. The Embassy had set up a 24/7 helpline for Indian community and government is taking steps to offer the assist our students in obtaining the legal advise and connecting them to community support services.