(From left) Lingamaneni Sanjush and Bharati Mukhi
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Police is yet to file a chargesheet in the Bharati Mukhi case, where the Lifestyle store employee was run over by an Aston Martin SUV outside the Inorbit Mall in August.
The car was allegedly driven by Lingamaneni Sanjush, son of Jana Sena MP Lingamaneni Ramesh.
The police registered an FIR following a complaint by Mukhi’s store manager and invoked Section 106(1) (causing death by rash or negligent driving) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The offence is bailable and cognisable, meaning that the accused can be arrested without a warrant.
Meanwhile, over two months on, Sanjush is free as the police await the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report.
The investigation is nearly complete, with only the FSL report pending, investigating officer Sub-Inspector Girish Kumar told South First. He said there was no specific timeline for receiving the report.
There was no technical fault with the car, according to the Motor Vehicle Inspection report. The police have preserved CCTV footage and recorded eyewitnesses’ statements.
Sanjush tested negative for alcohol and drugs.
The forensic report covers alcohol and drug tests on blood samples, speed analysis based on CCTV footage, and examination of evidence collected from the scene. Kumar said, “FSL reports take time…You can check with other stations as well. We filed a preliminary chargesheet already.”
As per Section 193(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the police are bound to inform the informant or victim about the progress of the investigation within 90 days. That deadline, for this case, falls on November 14.
Twenty-six-year-old Bharati Mukhi died on August 16 around 3.10 pm after the fatal crash. She was taken to Apollo Hospital in Jubilee Hills, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
It was only four days later that Sanjush’s role in the crash caught the public eye as videos of the accident went viral. An official communication from the Cyberabad police also came out only after public outrage over the mindless death.
Yet, Sanjush was not arrested.
One of the viral videos showed Sanjush trying to escape, but he was blocked by onlookers who forced him out. However, South First cited credible sources as saying that the journalist who runs the YouTube channel was forced to take it down.
Now, neither the video nor any CCTV footage is in the public domain.
While there is no deadline set for an FSL report, the investigating officer is responsible for following up with the laboratory, Telangana High Court advocate A Likith Reddy said to the South First.
“Blood samples are reliable only when examined promptly, and digital evidence such as CCTV footage should be analysed and secured before any question arises about its integrity,” he said, adding, “The longer the report is delayed, the more room there is for doubt, and that doubt ultimately benefits only the accused.”
As far as law is concerned, Reddy pointed out that Section 193 of the BNSS requires investigations to be completed without delay, and Section 193(9) allows for a supplementary report to be filed later. He said the police can proceed under Section 106(1) of the BNS, as they have eyewitness statements, CCTV footage, the post-mortem report and the vehicle inspection report.
This post was last modified on October 14, 2026 6:55 pm