A 65-year-old actor’s grueling journey across Andhra Pradesh’s police stations and jails exposes a chilling tale of retribution.
For Posani Krishna Murali, a veteran actor and writer. The past week has been a nightmare scripted straight out of a political revenge thriller. What began as a late-night arrest at his Hyderabad home has spiraled into a harrowing 1600-kilometer odyssey across Andhra Pradesh, orchestrated, his supporters claim, by the vindictive trio of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, and Nara Lokesh. With 17 cases slapped against him statewide, Posani’s journey through police stations, courts, and jails paints a stark picture on misuse of power and a 65-year-old man caught in its crosshairs.
The Spark of Vengeance
The saga traces back to old wounds. Posani’s sharp-tongued remarks about the Nandi Awards and his biting critiques of Pawan Kalyan, made years ago, seem to have festered in the minds of the ruling coalition leaders. Fast forward to February 24, 2025: complaints were lodged, claiming his words had hurt sentiments. Two days later, on February 26, Annamayya district police descended on his Hyderabad residence, arresting him at 9:30 PM. What followed was not just an arrest but a calculated campaign of humiliation and exhaustion, say YSRCP Party insiders.
“They’re settling scores,” a party source stated. “Chandrababu, Pawan, and Lokesh couldn’t digest Posani’s loyalty to Jagan. This is their payback.”
A Punishing Pilgrimage
Posani’s journey reads like a cruel road map of retribution. After his arrest, police shuffled him into another vehicle, embarking on a 14-hour drive through the night via Vijayawada covering over 275 km before reaching Obulavaripalle police station by 11:30 AM on February 27. There, he was presented before the Railway Kodur First-Class Judicial Magistrate, only to be shuttled again the next day, February 28, to Rajampet sub-jail, another 20 km away.
The torment didn’t stop. On March 1, he was rushed from Rajampet to Kadapa RIMS for unspecified health concerns possibly a sign of the toll this relentless movement was taking before being hauled back to jail. Two days later, on March 3, police dragged him 200 km north to Narasaraopet court, then locked him up in Guntur district jail. By March 4, the 65-year-old was on the move again, this time 150 km west to Kurnool, where he faced a judge at 2 AM and was dumped into the district prison under the cover of darkness.
In just over a week, Posani has been paraded across hundreds of kilometers from Hyderabad to Vijayawada, Rajampet to Kadapa, Narasaraopet to Guntur, and finally Kurnool. A crude estimate puts the distance at nearly 1600 km, a grueling trek that critics say was designed to break his spirit. “The khakis are making him faint with exhaustion,” a YSRCP supporter fumes. “This isn’t justice it’s vengeance.”
A Map of Misery
Here’s the trail of Posani’s torment:
- Feb 26, 9:30 PM : Arrested at Hyderabad home.
- Feb 27, 11:30 AM : Obulavaripalle police station via Vijayawada (275+ km).
- Feb 28 : Rajampet sub-jail (20 km from Obulavaripalle).
- Mar 1 : Kadapa RIMS and back to Rajampet (60 km round trip).
- Mar 3 : Narasaraopet court and Guntur jail (200+ km).
- Mar 4, 2 AM : Kurnool court and prison (150+ km).
Each stop, each transfer, adds to the narrative of a man relentlessly hounded not just by police but by a political machinery pulling the strings.
High Court’s Breather
Amid this chaos, a sliver of relief emerged on March 4. The Andhra Pradesh High Court stepped in, ordering police to refrain from hasty actions in cases filed against Posani in Visakhapatnam and Chittoor districts, including those at Padmanabham and Sullurupeta stations. The court postponed further hearings to Monday, March 9, granting Posani a temporary reprieve from the barrage of arrests and transfers at least until the weekend passes. For now, the 65-year-old remains in Kurnool jail, his fate hanging in the balance.
The Bigger Picture
YSRCP leaders, including party Chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, have decried Posani’s treatment as a blatant abuse of power. On February 27, Jagan personally reached out to Posani’s wife, Kusumalatha, condemning the arrest as illegal and politically motivated. The 17 cases spanning multiple districts suggest a coordinated effort to silence a vocal critic who dared to challenge the coalition’s heavyweights.
For the ruling alliance of TDP, Jana Sena, and BJP, Posani’s arrest is framed as a lawful response to provocative statements. Yet, the sheer scale of the operation, 17 cases, endless transfers, and a week-long ordeal raises questions. Is this justice, or a vendetta dressed up as law and order? As Posani languishes in custody, the coalition’s silence on the specifics only fuels the speculation.
A Man in the Middle
At 65, Posani Krishna Murali is no stranger to controversy. A prolific actor and writer, he’s built a reputation for speaking his mind, often aligning himself with Jagan’s vision for Andhra Pradesh. But this latest chapter may test even his resilience. Shuttled across the state, subjected to what his allies call “mupputippalu” (relentless harassment), Posani has become a symbol of loyalty for some, defiance for others, and perhaps a warning to anyone who crosses the powers that be.
As the High Court deliberates and the political war rages on, one thing is clear: Posani’s story is far from over. Whether he emerges as a martyr or a survivor, his 1600-km torment has already etched a dark mark on Andhra Pradesh’s political landscape.
