Kadambari Jethwani Harassment Case: Andhra Suspends 3 IPS Officers For 'Illegal' Arrest of Actor

Amaravati: Three senior IPS officers in Andhra Pradesh were suspended for their alleged involvement in "hastily arresting" and "harassing" Mumbai-based actress-model Kadambari Jethwani. The officers—P. S. R. Anjaneyulu (Director General rank), Kanthi Rana Tata (Inspector General rank), and Vishal Gunni (Superintendent rank)—were suspended after an inquiry revealed misconduct in handling the case.

The actress accused the Andhra Pradesh police of illegally arresting her earlier this year on the orders of a YSR Congress leader who had accused her of cheating in a land-related dispute. The inquiry found that the arrest was made without following proper procedures, as no First Information Report (FIR) had been filed at the time of her detention.

P. S. R. Anjaneyulu, who was the intelligence chief at the time, was charged with abusing his authority by ordering the actress's arrest on January 31, even though the FIR was only registered on February 2. The government order stated that his actions amounted to grave misconduct and misuse of power.

"The government, after careful consideration of the report and having due regard to the circumstances of the case, came to a conclusion that there is prima facie evidence and that the disciplinary proceedings are warranted for his grave misconduct and dereliction of duty and therefore, consider it necessary to initiate disciplinary proceedings and to place Sri P Sitharama Anjaneyulu, IPS (1992), under suspension," said one of the GOs.

Kanthi Rana Tata, the former Vijayawada Police Commissioner, was accused of failing to supervise the investigation properly and acting on oral instructions from Anjaneyulu. He allegedly ordered police officers to fly to Mumbai for the arrest without obtaining proper written orders.

Vishal Gunni, who was the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Vijayawada, was also suspended for not thoroughly examining the case before making the arrest. He traveled to Mumbai on February 2, shortly after the FIR was filed, and arrested the actress without giving her a chance to respond.

The Andhra Pradesh government took swift action after the inquiry, which had garnered significant public attention. The suspended officers are part of a group of 16 IPS officers who were asked to report to the DGP’s office without any posting after the new NDA government took office.

The case has prompted further investigations, and police have registered cases against the YSR Congress leader and others involved. Two additional police officers had already been suspended earlier in connection with the actress's allegations of harassment.

Who is Kadambari Jethwani?

Model-actress Kadambari Jethwani, 28, attended prestigious schools in Ahmedabad and holds a Visharad in Bharatnatyam, as per her IMDb profile. She relocated to Mumbai due to her mother’s job, where a chance encounter with a director led to her acting debut in the Hindi film "Sadda Adda." Kadambari later appeared in Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Punjabi films, including Ouija (Kannada), Aata (Telugu), I Love Me (Malayalam), and Oh Yaara Ainvayi Ainvayi Lut Gaya (Punjabi). Earlier this year, she was arrested during the previous government’s rule following a complaint by a YSR Congress leader who accused her of fraud.