The Supreme Court has delivered a major blow to senior YSRCP leaders Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy, former MLA of Macherla, and his brother Pinnelli Venkatarama Reddy, by cancelling the interim bail earlier granted to them in the Palnadu double murder case. The Court dismissed both of their anticipatory bail petitions and ruled that the two leaders must face custodial interrogation.
The case stems from the May 24 killings of TDP workers Venkateswarlu and Koteswara Rao in Gundlapadu village of Veldurthi mandal. According to the investigation, the murders were not spontaneous acts but the result of political rivalry and internal party conflicts. Police stated that the Pinnelli brothers encouraged the attackers and tried to disguise the crime as a feud within the TDP by allegedly shifting the loyalties of the assailants and even placing TDP stickers on vehicles used in the attack.
Investigators also relied on restaurant meeting evidence, call records, and witness statements to establish the brothers’ involvement. After the FIR was filed, the two first approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court for anticipatory bail, which was rejected. They then moved the Supreme Court, which granted interim protection on September 4 with a strict condition that they cooperate fully with the investigation.
However, the state government later informed the Court that the brothers did not cooperate, failed to appear consistently, and allegedly pressured witnesses and attempted to tamper with evidence. After reviewing the facts, a bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta cancelled the interim relief and ruled that the accused have no right to anticipatory bail in this case.
The Court granted them two weeks to surrender. Justice Sandeep Mehta questioned how such leniency could be offered in a matter that requires custodial interrogation, noting that the investigation had been obstructed. The ruling marks a critical stage in a case that has intensified political tensions in the Palnadu region. With the Supreme Court lifting the protection previously granted, the investigation is expected to move into a decisive phase.
