Police officers foisted false case upon actor Kadambari Jethwani, says remand report

Main accused Vidyasagar was produced before the Fourth Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Vijayawada; probe team suspects tampering of evidence

The NTR Police Commissionerate, which is investigating the harassment of Bollywood actor Kadambari Jethwani and her family members in an alleged false case, said that the police officers who are facing allegations in the case colluded with the main accused Kukkala Vidyasagar. The accused police officers arrested Ms. Jethwani and her family allegedly with the intent of conspiracy, said the Police Commissionerate.

The police, which produced Vidyasagar before the Fourth Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Vijayawada on September 24 (Monday), said in the remand report that the other accused in the case were top-level police officers and that there were chances of tampering of evidence.

The accused police officers conspired with Vidyasagar, who had the political influence to ensure getting the postings done and avoiding frequent transfers, and registered a false case against Ms. Jethwani and her family members.

Acting on a complaint lodged by Vidyasagar against the actor on February 2, 2024, the Ibrahimpatnam police arrested Ms. Jethwani and her parents Narendra Kumar Mehar Singh Jethwani and Asha Jethwani, the next day.

The actor also lodged a complaint against Vidyasagar and some police officers on September 14, 2024, which led to the suspension of five police officers including then DGP (intelligence) P. Sitarama Anjaneyulu, then Vijayawada Police Commissioner Kanthi Rana Tata, DCP Vishal Gunni, West Zone ACP K. Hanumantha Rao and then Ibrahimpatnam CI M. Satyanarayana.

Vidyasagar was the only accused arrested in the case so far, and the other accused are likely to be arrested soon, a police officer said.

Vidyasagar fraudulently fabricated the document dated November 30, 2011 in Maharashtra and cooked up the story alleging that Ms. Jethwani prepared a fake document and received ₹5 lakh from one Chinda Veera Venkata Nageswara Raju and Bharat Kumar, for selling five acres of land located at Jaggaiahpet in NTR district. The deal took place near Kondapalli Hill.

However, Mr. Nageswara Raju and Mr. Bharat Kumar claimed that they were never examined by the police, and that they knew nothing about the land deal with Ms. Jethwani, the investigation officers said in the report submitted to the court on Monday.

On January 30, 2024, a top-rank police officer (accused no. 2) summoned two IPS officers (also accused in the case), and directed them to arrest Ms. Jethwani.

The police officers in question allegedly conspired with with Vidyasagar and foisted a false case upon the actor without verifying the documents, created incorrect records, abused their official powers, and fabricated documents in Ms. Jethwani’s handbag during her arrest and manipulated the investigation, the Ibrahimpatnam police said.

The investigation officer in the case (accused no. 5) allegedly made the illegal arrest of the actor and her parents, by submitting false records as genuine in the court.

The actor and her parents were in jail for a number of days, which amounts to wrongful confinement and deliberated Section 220 and 342 IPC, the investigation officers said in the remand report.

Published - September 24, 2024 08:24 am IST