Published Feb 08, 2024 | 9:17 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 08, 2024 | 9:18 PM
Srinu with Jagan in 2018. (Supplied)
The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday, 8 February, granted conditional bail to Janipally Srinivasa Rao, who allegedly attacked current Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at the Visakhapatnam airport in 2018.
He is accused of attacking Jagan with a knife known as a “kodi kathi“, used in cockfights. As a result, he earned the moniker “Kodi Kathi Srinu” following the attack.
Srinu — who spent more than five years in jail — was released on bail by the high court on a personal bond of ₹25,000 and two sureties of a similar amount.
Around noon on 25 October, 2018, Reddy, who was then the Leader of the Opposition in Andhra Pradesh, went to the VIP lounge in Visakhapatnam airport for refreshments while he was on his way to Hyderabad.
Srinu (34), who was working as a waiter at Fusion Food Restaurant in the airport, requested a selfie with Reddy, who obliged.
Pretending to take the selfie, Srinu inched close to Reddy and allegedly attacked him with the knife. Reddy managed to escape with a minor injury, and Srinu was eventually arrested.
According to the bail conditions, Srinu 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 forbade Srinu from issuing any statements to the media and directed him to cooperate with the trial court for the smooth completion of the trial.
Ever since the incident, his family has been demanding bail or trial. The reason is simple. Jagan, the survivor and eyewitness, has been avoiding attending the trial court to depose before the judge.
On 18 January, Srinu’s mother Savitri and elder brother Subba Raju began a hunger strike in Vijayawada after their multiple attempts to meet Jagan, now the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, went in vain.
They said the chief minister was refusing to attend the court to record his statement or withdraw the case.
The case, incidentally, took a political hue before the 2019 Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections as well, with Jagan’s critics alleging that the incident helped the YSRCP supremo win the sympathy of the voters
(With PTI inputs)
