Former Speaker of Andhra Pradesh Assembly and six-time TDP MLA from Narasaropet, Dr Kodela Siva Prasada Rao, allegedly committed suicide at his residence in Hyderabad on Monday.
Over the last few months, the former Speaker was in the midst of a major controversy as he was accused of diverting the Assembly furniture to his residence and his son’s showroom, inviting sharp criticism from his own party as also the YSRCP Government.
However, mystery shrouds his death as authorities of the Basavatarakam Hospital, where he was shifted by his family members, said he died due to a massive heart attack. The exact reason that forced the ex-Speaker, who was also a qualified MBBS doctor, to take the drastic step is being ascertained by the police, sources said. He is survived by wife Sasikala, daughter Vijayalakshmi and son Sivaramakrishna — both doctors. His family members said he was under tremendous stress and strain due to the allegations against him.
A case had been filed against him last month after he admitted to shifting Assembly furniture and computers from the premises to his residence in Guntur. Charges were filed under sections relating to criminal breach of trust by a public servant and dishonestly receiving stolen property at the Thullur police station in Guntur district. Assembly section officer Easwara Rao filed a complaint against the TDP leader.
The former Assembly Speaker had admitted to shifting the property. As Speaker, he claimed, he was the custodian of Assembly property so he kept the furniture in his ‘safe custody’ after it was ‘retrieved’ from the old Assembly in Hyderabad while the Capital was being shifted to Amaravati.
After his admission, officials from the Assembly had searched a showroom owned by Rao’s family, last month and reportedly identified 32 chairs, four sofas, three tables, one teapoy and other items that belonged to the Assembly. Kodela justified moving the property saying if the furniture was left at the Speaker’s chambers in Hyderabad, its maintenance would have been a problem.
The ruling YSR Congress, including its chief Jagan Mohan Reddy, pounced on Kodela and the TDP, accusing the former Speaker of ‘stealing’ the legislature property. Sattenapalli MLA Ambati Rambabu said that only because Rao was ‘exposed’, he was willing to return the property. But even his own party workers lodged several criminal cases against him and his family members. Last month, a section of TDP workers protested at the party’s State office in Guntur, demanding Rao’s removal as in-charge of the Sattenapalli constituency. Sivaprasad moved the HC seeking directions to the Assembly to take back the furniture.
After speaking to the agitating leaders and workers, party president and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu told reporters that the party won’t hesitate to take action against top leaders. “We have already prepared a list of leaders who were involved in corrupt practices in the past five years when TDP was in power,” he had said. On Monday, Naidu said he was “unable to digest” Sivaprasad’s death.