Former Andhra minister Seediri Appalaraju remanded in hit-and-run evidence tampering case

A court in Andhra Pradesh remanded former minister and YSRCP leader Seediri Appalaraju to 14 days of judicial custody in an alleged evidence-tampering case linked to a hit-and-run accident involving his son. YSRCP chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy termed the arrest politically motivated.

Visakhapatnam: A court in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district on Thursday sent former minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Seediri Appalaraju to judicial custody for 14 days in a case registered against him for allegedly tampering with evidence in a hit‑and‑run case involving his son.

The YSRCP leader, who was arrested from his residence in Kasibugga, was produced before a court in Palasa. After the court remanded him to judicial custody, he was shifted to Ampolu jail near Srikakulam.

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Appalaraju is facing allegations of misleading investigating officers and tampering with evidence in connection with the hit‑and‑run case involving his son, Arav Varma.

On July 10, a 45‑year‑old man, Danayya, died on the spot after a two‑wheeler allegedly ridden by Arav hit him on the Old National Highway at Kasibugga.

Local police initially registered a case against another youngster, Siddardh, a friend of Arav. However, CCTV footage recovered from a nearby petrol station established that Arav was riding the vehicle before the crash. Following the revelation, police arrested both Arav Varma and Siddardh.

As Appalaraju allegedly used his influence to shield his son, his name was also included in the First Information Report (FIR). He is accused of exerting pressure on the victim’s family to withdraw the case and attempting to conceal evidence.

Former Chief Minister and YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy condemned Appalaraju’s arrest, alleging that the Chandrababu Naidu Government had turned a road accident into a weapon of political vendetta.

“The 18‑year‑old son of former Minister and BC leader from North Andhra, Seediri Appalaraju, was arrested and remanded not under provisions relating to a road accident, but on a murder charge, after being blamed for accidentally causing an accident while riding a motorcycle. Now, the arrest of his father makes it clear that the Government’s objective is to politically persecute an entire YSRCP leader’s family,” Jagan said in a post on X.