I Will Never Recommend Parole, Asserts Kotamreddy

Nellore:Nellore Rural TD legislator Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy on Friday vowed never to recommend parole for any prisoner during his tenure as MLA.

His statement comes in the wake of the political storm triggered by the recent parole granted to notorious rowdy-sheeter A. Srikanth from Nellore Central Prison earlier this month. Although the home department swiftly revoked the parole and shifted Srikanth back into custody on August 12, reports surfaced that Kotamreddy and Gudur TDP MLA Pasam Sunil Kumar had written to the department recommending parole in Srikanth’s case.

Sources also indicated that Srikanth’s fiancée, former Disha counsellor Nidigunta Aruna, influenced certain senior bureaucrats and police officials, paving the way for Srikanth’s release despite adverse reports from Tirupati SP V. Harshavardhan Raju and the Nellore jailer, both of whom had strongly opposed the parole, citing his long criminal history.

As the political slugfest between the TDP and YSRCP escalated, the government moved into damage-control mode—arresting Aruna in an old extortion case and transferring Srikanth from Nellore Central Prison to Visakhapatnam Central Jail. Addressing a press meet in Nellore, Kotamreddy admitted that he and Sunil Kumar had forwarded parole requests, but stressed that the Home department rejected their recommendations. He also released documents to prove that Srikanth’s parole was not granted based on his letter.

Recalling that former Chandragiri YSRCP MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy and Sullurpeta MLA Kiliveti Sanjeevaiah had also sought parole for Srikanth during the previous regime, Kotamreddy argued that legislators across party lines often make such recommendations when approached by families of prisoners.

“However, this controversy has taught me a lesson. I will never again recommend parole for any prisoner as long as I remain an MLA,” Kotamreddy declared.