Even as the political situation in Andhra Pradesh heated up due to the controversy over the adulteration of ghee used in the laddu prasadam of Lord Venkateshwara on Tirumala during the previous YSR Congress party regime, an interesting development went largely unnoticed in the state.
This involved the alleged sexual assault on a woman TDP leader by Satyavedu MLA Koneti Adimoolam last month.
The Tirupati police, who had registered a rape case against the MLA after he was suspended from the TDP following the exposure of videos showing his sexual exploits, quietly withdrew the case on Friday.
Adimoolam had filed a petition in the state high court, claiming innocence and requesting that the case be quashed on the grounds that vested political interests had trapped him in the rape case.
He also informed the court that he was a heart patient and had undergone angioplasty.
While the high court was hearing arguments in Adimoolam's petition, it was reported that the rape victim had reached a compromise with him and agreed to withdraw the case.
The victim’s lawyer submitted a fresh petition in the high court, stating that she had entered into an out-of-court settlement and agreed to a compromise. As a result, she requested permission to withdraw the case.
Following this, the high court announced the closure of the case against the MLA and instructed the police to take the necessary steps.
However, the damage had already been done to Adimoolam, as the videos showed him engaging in sexual activity with the woman, who also appeared to participate willingly.
"It seems to have been consensual, so the rape allegations may not have stood in court. This could be why she decided to withdraw the case," a source suggested.
Another possibility, according to sources, is that Adimoolam may have "compromised" with her by offering a significant sum of money.
