HC grants bail to ‘Kodi Kathi’ Srinu

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday granted conditional bail to J Srinivasa Rao, who allegedly attacked Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in 2018 at Visakhapatnam airport with a knife known as a ‘kodi kathi used in cockfights.

On Thursday, Rao, who spent more than five years in jail, was released on bail by the High Court on a personal bond of Rs 25,000 and two sureties of a similar amount.

On October 25, 2018, around noon, Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was then the opposition leader of Andhra Pradesh, went to the VIP lounge in Visakhapatnam airport for refreshments while he was on his way to Hyderabad. Rao (34), who was working as a waiter at Fusion Food Restaurant in the airport, requested a selfie with Reddy, who obliged.

While pretending to take the selfie, Rao inched close to Reddy and allegedly attacked him with the knife. Reddy managed to escape with a minor injury, and eventually Rao was arrested. According to the bail conditions, Rao is required to mark his presence at the Mummidivaram police station in East Godavari district every Sunday between 10 am and 5 pm, until further orders. Moreover, the high court forbid Rao from issuing any statements to the media and directed him to cooperate with the trial court for the smooth completion of the trial.