Vijayawada: The mysterious death of one 24-year-old Topudurthi Mahesh Reddy of Topudurthi village in Atmakur mandal of Ananthapuram district, has recently triggered a political and familial controversy.
Mahesh’ body was found on railway tracks near Thaticherla in the district. His father Malli Reddy had raised suspicion about his son’s death, alleging the involvement of former Raptadu MLA Topudurthi Prakash Reddy’s brothers, Rajashekara Reddy and Chandra Reddy.
Malli Reddy told media that his son received death threats from Rajashekara Reddy and others over ongoing disputes.
“Mahesh had told me that he was being threatened, but I asked him to stay strong. I can’t believe he would commit suicide,” he said.
The grieving father of the deceased also accused the Reddy brothers of influencing local leaders to remove their names from land registrations and lodging false complaints against Mahesh.
“The police even beat my son up back then, but he didn’t lose his will to fight. I strongly believe his death was not a suicide,” he added.
SI Venkatesh of Ananthapuram railway police confirmed that the families of Mahesh and the Reddy brothers are relatives and were embroiled in a land dispute.
“We have registered a case, and a post-mortem report is awaited to ascertain the cause of death. Further investigation is underway,” the SI said.
It is noted that Mahesh had earlier posted a cryptic message on his Facebook profile alleging false cases were lodged against him. However, the 24-year-old had not mentioned any names on his social media post.
Meanwhile, TDP leader Paritala Sriram visited the grieving family and expressed doubts about the nature of Mahesh’s death.
“Mahesh was a friendly and courageous person. He once met me, and since then, he was harassed by Reddy brothers during the YSRCP regime. Mahesh and his family members’ names were removed from land revenue records,” Sriram alleged.
The TDP leader assured his support to the family and promised to press for a detailed investigation.
However, former MLA Prakash Reddy, denied all allegations, calling them baseless.
“I am ready to face a CBI investigation to prove my innocence. Mahesh’s death was a suicide due to his personal issues, and the allegations against me and my family are politically motivated,” he said.
