Srikalahasti MLA refutes viral video claims, demands full probe

Tirupati: Srikalahasti MLA Bojjala Sudhir Reddy dismissed allegations made in a viral selfie video reportedly recorded by the late driver of former Jana Sena leader Vinutha Kota, calling the video suspicious and politically motivated.

Addressing the media in New Delhi on Monday, Sudhir strongly refuted the claims and said he would meet the Tirupati superintendent of police to request an immediate comprehensive probe into the matter. He questioned the timing of the video’s appearance, pointing out that it surfaced nearly four months after the driver’s death. Recalling his past political contests, Sudhir said that in the 2019 Assembly elections, he, Vinutha Kota, and Biyyapu Madhusudhan Reddy had contested from Srikalahasti. “Vinutha lost her deposit after polling just 5,000 votes, while I secured around 71,000 votes but still lost to the YSRCP wave that year,” he said. “In 2024, as the NDA alliance candidate, I won by a margin of 45,000 votes. It is absurd to claim that I paid Rs 20 lakh to her driver for information when Vinutha was never a serious contender after 2019.”

Sudhir also cited findings from the Chennai police investigation, which, according to him, established that Vinutha, her husband Chandrababu, and three associates had allegedly kidnapped and tortured the driver, identified as Ch Srinivasulu alias Rayudu, leading to his death. The group was reportedly caught while attempting to dump the body in the Cooum river, he said.

“After being released on conditional bail, Vinutha has now circulated Rayudu’s selfie video and her own clip to mislead the public and seek sympathy,” Sudhir alleged. He expressed doubts that Rayudu may have been coerced into recording the video under pressure. “I am open to any form of inquiry into this case,” he added.

It may be recalled that Rayudu’s body was found in the Cooum river near Chennai in July.

The Seven Hills Police arrested Vinutha, her husband, and three others — Siva Kumar, Sheik Thasan, and Gopi — in connection with the murder. All five were later released on conditional bail.

The sudden emergence of the unverified selfie video on social media has once again ignited controversy, reviving tensions around the case and prompting renewed calls for investigation.