Visakhapatnam
Dalit leaders, after meeting Janipalli Srinivas alias Kodi Kathi Srinu in Visakhapatnam Central Jail, expressed concern over his deteriorating health during his ongoing indefinite fast demanding justice. Srinu is accused of a knife attack on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. Leaders of a Dalit group, along with Srinu’s lawyer, claimed that jail officials and another prisoner had to carry him in their hands. The Dalit Vedika leader, Boosi Venkat Rao, voiced apprehensions about Srinu’s well-being, criticizing the lack of health bulletins from jail authorities. The Dalit leaders alleged external pressure to end Srinu’s hunger strike, asserting that his life is at risk. Srinu has been on a fast since January 18, demanding bail or a trial. Srinu, a worker at a food joint in Visakhapatnam airport, attacked Jagan Mohan Reddy in 2018, injuring him on the shoulder with a knife. He has been in jail since then, except for a brief period on bail. The trial has been delayed as Jagan Mohan Reddy, now the Chief Minister, has not attended the trial court. Srinu’s family, demanding bail or a trial, has been staging protests. His mother and brother recently ended an indefinite fast in Vijayawada after opposition party leaders assured support. The attack on Jagan Mohan Reddy before the 2019 elections created a political stir. The NIA, after nearly four years of investigation, informed the court in April 2023 that there was no conspiracy behind the attack. However, Jagan’s legal team claims a conspiracy to eliminate him, alleging the accused had worked under a TDP leader.
