Former YSRCP MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy, Brother Surrender in Palnadu Double-Murder Case

Amaravati, Dec 2025 : Former YSRCP MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy and his brother Venkatarami Reddy on Thursday surrendered before a court in Palnadu district in connection with the double murder of two Telugu Desam Party (TDP) workers.

Acting on the Supreme Court’s directive, the Pinnelli brothers presented themselves before the Junior Additional Civil Court in Macherla. The Supreme Court had, in late November, dismissed their anticipatory bail pleas and instructed them to surrender before the lower court within two weeks.

Police deployed stringent security measures around the court premises to prevent any law-and-order issues as the high-profile case continues to generate political tension in the region. Ramakrishna Reddy, a former MLA from Macherla, and his brother have been named accused number six and seven in the case.

The murders of TDP workers Javishetti Venkateswarlu and his brother Koteswara Rao date back to May 2025. Residents of Gundlapadu village, the duo were killed near Bodilaveedu in Veldurthi mandal while returning from a wedding in Telangana. According to investigators, an SUV rammed their motorcycle and dragged them for several metres. When the assailants realized one victim was still alive, they allegedly bludgeoned him with a stone before fleeing, abandoning the vehicle at the crime scene.

After the Pinnelli brothers were named in the FIR, the YSR Congress Party accused the ruling TDP of misusing power to target political rivals. YSRCP leaders alleged that the FIR was filed under pressure from local TDP MLA Julakanti Brahmananda Reddy and pointed to media reports and statements by the district SP suggesting that the murders were the result of internal factional clashes within the TDP itself.

Following the TDP-led NDA’s return to power last year, Palnadu police had opened rowdy sheets against both brothers, citing multiple incidents during the general elections. Ramakrishna Reddy has been named in 14 criminal cases, while his brother faces more than six cases.

The former MLA also faced strong criticism last year for damaging an electronic voting machine (EVM) at a polling booth in the Macherla Assembly constituency during polling. A TDP agent at the booth had attempted to stop him, following which Ramakrishna Reddy allegedly conspired to eliminate the agent on the same day. A separate police case was filed regarding this incident.

The court is expected to take up further proceedings in the double-murder case in the coming days, even as political tensions continue to simmer in Palnadu.

Team Maverick