Amaravati, February 4: The Andhra Pradesh police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Janasena MLA Arava Sridhar on Tuesday following allegations of sexual assault by a woman.
The police initiated the investigation under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 318(2), 318(4), 88, and 351(2). This action came after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) directed the Kadapa district police superintendent to file a case against the railway Koduru MLA.
The woman approached the NHRC after her complaint was not registered, seeking justice. She alleged last week that Sridhar had sexually exploited her for over a year under the pretense of marriage and forced her to undergo an abortion.
Identified as a government employee, the woman claimed in a selfie video that the exploitation began shortly after Sridhar was elected as an MLA in 2024. She alleged that he took her to a secluded location in a car, where he physically assaulted her.
She reported that over the past year, she underwent five abortions and faced repeated harassment and threats from the MLA. Additionally, she stated that he pressured her to call her husband and demand a divorce.
However, Sridhar, a member of the party led by Pawan Kalyan, denied the allegations, asserting that false propaganda and deepfake videos had been circulated against him.
Meanwhile, Sridhar appeared before a three-member committee formed by Janasena to investigate the allegations on Tuesday. After the meeting, he told reporters that he is prepared to face the charges against him.
He stated, “No matter how many cases are filed against me, I will confront them. Even if a hundred cases are registered, I am ready to face them.” Sridhar characterized the matter as entirely personal and urged the media not to involve the party.
The Janasena, led by Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, has appointed three leaders—T. Shivshankar, T. Ramadevi, and T.C. Varun—to the committee investigating the woman’s allegations.