AP CID Names Actress Kadambari Jethwani as Main Accused in Extortion Case

The Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (CID) has filed a revised chargesheet before a Vijayawada court, naming Mumbai-based actress Kadambari Jethwani as the primary accused in a multi-year extortion racket. The case, which traces its origin to a November 2009 social gathering in Hyderabad, involves the alleged extortion of a Vijayawada-based businessman, Kukkala Venkata Rama Vidyasagar.

The filing marks a complete reversal in a high-profile case that previously led to the suspension of three IPS officers and disciplinary action against several police personnel. Those suspensions occurred after Jethwani accused the police of illegal detention and harassment. However, following a change of government in Andhra Pradesh, the investigation was transferred to the CID, which concluded that the evidence supported the businessman's original extortion complaint.

According to the chargesheet, Vidyasagar first met Jethwani in Hyderabad, where she allegedly introduced herself as 'Natasha' and sought his financial help. The acquaintance developed into a close relationship, with Vidyasagar paying for her educational and personal expenses between 2009 and 2012, including a documented payment of ₹80,000 in Mumbai in March 2012.

The CID alleges the relationship took a coercive turn in May 2013 inside a Mumbai hotel room. Jethwani reportedly demanded ₹10 lakh, threatening to circulate intimate photographs and file a false rape case. When Vidyasagar threatened to contact her parents, Jethwani allegedly put her mother, Asha Jethwani, on speakerphone, who urged him to settle. Fearing reputational damage, Vidyasagar transferred ₹1 lakh to her account.

The extortion allegedly continued for years through various methods. In February 2015, Jethwani's brother, Ambarish Jethwani, allegedly transferred ₹1.26 lakh to Vidyasagar's account, instructing him to withdraw and return it in cash. The actress later demanded another ₹10 lakh, resulting in Vidyasagar paying ₹4.2 lakh in cash instalments. Between June 2016 and January 2017, he transferred an additional ₹3.48 lakh to a joint account held by Jethwani and her mother.

In 2018, Jethwani allegedly confronted Vidyasagar at his residence in Andhra Pradesh, demanding ₹2 lakh and receiving ₹1 lakh in cash. In September 2023, she allegedly demanded ₹1 crore to set up an art gallery. During a Zoom call, she allegedly claimed her brother had links to Dubai-based underworld operatives who could have Vidyasagar killed if payments stopped.

To build the case, CID investigators relied on bank transaction records, hotel bookings, call data, SMS exchanges, and witness statements. Scrutiny of Vidyasagar's accounts revealed a documented trail of ₹1.32 crore in withdrawals and transfers. While Jethwani's parents and brother were present during several instances, the CID concluded there was insufficient substantive evidence to charge them, naming Kadambari Jethwani as the sole accused.