Hot Topic: Varuna Reddy Is Back!

The YCP government has been showering immense love on Pocha Varuna Reddy, additional superintendent (Jails), for reasons better to the authorities even when he had faced departmental action in connection with Moddu Seenu’s murder in Anantapur jail. Moddu Seenu was the prime accused in TDP leader Paritala Ravindra’s murder.

At present, Varuna Reddy is posted as in-charge superintendent of Kadapa Central Jail where Devireddy Siva Sankar Reddy, Umasankar Reddy, Sunil Yadav – all accused in former minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy’s murder, have been lodged on remand, despite having undergone punishment and foregone increments.

Within three months of being voted to power, the YCP government dismissed punishment orders issued on Varuna Reddy blaming him for dereliction of duties and for not ensuring security in the prison under his supervision which subsequently, led to the murder of Moddu Seenu.

On November 9, 2008, Moddu Seenu was murdered by Om Prakash, a jail inmate, using a dumbbell. The then government in undivided Andhra Pradesh levelled allegations that Varuna Reddy’s negligence in identifying that prisoners were in possession of dumbbells and failing to take security measures led to the murder of the prisoner. He also faced charges of failing to monitor the movements of the prisoners and shifting Om Prakash into the barracks where Moddu Seenu was lodged, amounting to misdemeanor.

The police department also conducted a departmental inquiry into the allegations and the then DG (Jails) even delayed his increments for two years, so as to have an impact on his retirement benefits. Varuna Reddy was considered ‘not on duty’ during the suspension period, as part of punishment. Reddy’s plea to reconsider the decision was also rejected.

However, in 2013, the home department issued orders making slight changes in his punishment by suspending his annual grade increment to avoid cumulative effect.

Varuna Reddy is learnt to have had a checkered history as he faced allegations of imprisoning one S. Venkataramana for months together when he worked as Mandanapalle sub-jail superintendent. This allegation could not be proved but the DG (Jails) expressed dissatisfaction with the inquiry report and refused to approve it. As part of the punishment, Varuna Reddy’s increment was delayed for a year.

In 2019, Varuna Reddy appealed to the government that the punishment imposed on him during the suspension period be dismissed on humanitarian grounds and the YCP government reacted in the positive.

The government even mentioned that the period between November 10, 2008 and February 7, 2010, when Varuna Reddy was under suspension would be considered as on duty and orders were also issued to this effect.