The strangulation and dumping of Srinivasulu, alias Rayudu, a 22-year-old driver and aide to suspended Jana Sena Party (JSP) leader Vinutha Kota, in Chennai's Cooum River on July 8 has morphed into an explosive political scandal gripping Andhra Pradesh's Srikalahasti constituency. Initially probed as a personal vendetta—stemming from Rayudu's alleged spying on Kota's private life—the case veered dramatically this week with the emergence of a nearly 20-minute selfie video purportedly recorded by Rayudu before his death. The footage, now under forensic scrutiny for authenticity, levels explosive accusations against Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Bojjala Sudheer Reddy, accusing him of orchestrating a plot to discredit or harm Kota through compromising videos, thrusting the ruling NDA allies into an awkward inter-party rift.

Rayudu, employed at Kota's residence since 2019, was identified via distinctive hand tattoos when his tortured body surfaced. Chennai's Seven Wells police swiftly arrested Kota, her husband Chandrababu, and three accomplices—Sivakumar, Gopi, and Sheikh Dasar—charging them with murder, kidnapping, and evidence tampering under relevant Indian Penal Code sections. Investigations revealed Rayudu had hidden a phone in Kota's bedroom in March, capturing sensitive footage that he allegedly leaked to Reddy's associates for Rs 20-50 lakh, varying by reports. Police claimed Kota, suspecting betrayal, confronted and killed him during interrogation, with accomplices dumping the body. Kota and Chandrababu, during remand, initially blamed Reddy for planting Rayudu as a mole to undermine her JSP influence in Srikalahasti, a seat JSP eyed in 2024 but lost to TDP amid alliance dynamics.

The video's leak on social media has upended the narrative. In it, Rayudu appears to confess to being coerced or threatened into recording, claiming Reddy's camp promised Rs 30 lakh for procuring intimate videos of Kota and Chandrababu or staging an assault to frame her. He portrays himself as a victim of a larger conspiracy to eliminate Kota politically, suggesting his murder was to silence him. The clip, shared widely on platforms like YouTube and X, has amassed millions of views, fuelling speculation of AI manipulation or duress. Chennai police, citing CCTV and forensics confirming torture, are now verifying the video's timestamp and origin, while Reddy demands a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe.

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Reddy, 45, son of a veteran TDP leader and victor in Srikalahasti since 2019, vehemently denied involvement during a Tirumala temple visit and New Delhi presser, swearing on his family: "These are baseless smears timed for political gain." He questioned the video's legitimacy—"Was it AI-generated or recorded under threat?"—and accused Kota of fabricating evidence post-arrest to deflect guilt, noting her political dormancy since a 2019 poll loss. Kota, out on conditional bail, countered in her own video to JSP chief Pawan Kalyan, decrying internal sabotage and vowing to expose the "truth", while alleging Reddy's repeated scandals, including recent harassment claims, embarrass the TDP. Rayudu's grandmother, in emotional interviews, slammed Kota's family for brutality, claiming they lured him with false job promises.

This saga exposes fissures in the TDP-JSP alliance, forged for the 2024 Andhra polls that ousted YSRCP, yet strained by seat-sharing disputes in temple towns like Srikalahasti. With Reddy facing intra-party heat from CM N. Chandrababu Naidu and JSP scrutiny, the probe's outcome could ripple into by-elections or leadership reshuffles. As forensics delve deeper, the case transcends a mere slaying, embodying Andhra's cutthroat rivalries where personal aides become pawns in power plays.

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