Jana Sena MP Son’s Rash Driving Kills 26-yr-old Odisha Woman

Hyderabad: Rash and negligent driving by Lingamaneni Sanjush, son of a powerful politician in Andhra Pradesh Lingamaneni Ramesh, claimed the life of Bharati Mukhi, a 26-year-old migrant worker from Odisha.

The accident took place on August 16 on the busy Inorbit Mall road, where the speeding Aston Martin bearing registration number TG09G0666 and driven by Sanjush hit Mukhi, causing her instantaneous death. However, the involvement of the Jana Sena Rajya Sabha member’s son came to light only on Thursday.

In the meantime, the accused was granted a “station bail” by the police since the sections invoked against him attract a maximum punishment of less than seven years. The body was handed over to the deceased’s kin and taken to her native village, where the last rites were performed.

Bharati was a small-time employee at the Lifestyle showroom in Inorbit Mall. She had gone out with her colleague to have lunch at one of the eateries that dot the road opposite the luxury hotel ITC Kohenur.

While the victim was crossing the road, Sanjush is said to have come out of his upscale apartment in MyHome Abra, where his companies have their registered office, and was proceeding towards the cable bridge when he hit the victim. Bharati sustained severe head injuries. He was allegedly driving at high speed, though the area is always crowded with pedestrians trying to cross the road.

In a video shot by a passer-by, Sanjush was seen being forced to get out of the car and attend to the victim. He later took her to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead. Only the car’s registration number was revealed on the day of the incident, and the police maintained that an investigation was underway to identify its owner and driver.

Highly-placed sources said attempts were made to replace the driver, but an IPS official firmly rejected any such move. Accordingly, the identity of the accused was established and sent for a medical examination before being served notices. “We acted strictly as per procedure. We got a drunken-driving test done and booked a case under the relevant sections,” Kukatpally DCP Riti Raj told Deccan Chronicle.

The complaint was filed by the showroom’s manager, who stated that the deceased, Bharati, had stepped out with her colleague to purchase lunch on the opposite side of the road. While they were returning to the mall, the accused, driving the Aston Martin in a rash and negligent manner, hit the victim. She sustained severe head injuries and bleeding, and the accused drove her to a private hospital in the same car. However, doctors declared her brought dead.

According to the deceased’s colleague, “Bharati had been working at the showroom for the last two years. She was from Odisha. We obtained contact details from her mobile phone and contacted her brother, who subsequently informed the family. We had already proceeded with the complaint. A petition was filed with the police mentioning the car’s registration number. With the help of the vehicle number, the police tracked down the driver.”

Madhapur inspector K.V. Subba Rao said the accused was identified on the same day and served notices in connection with the case registered under BNS Section 106(1). Tests for alcohol and drugs were also conducted, and the results were negative. Meanwhile, the car was seized.

The accused’s father Ramesh is considered a powerful politician because of his proximity to Jana Sena chief and Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan. He played a crucial role in the 2024 elections and was rewarded with the Rajya Sabha membership.

The accused, Sanjush, has graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas. He is also named as a director of Black Ridge Energy Private Limited, located in Vijayawada, and as an additional director of Capital Energy Private Limited, which has its office in Shaikpet.