Senior YSR Congress party leader Dadisetti Ramalingeshwar Rao, also known as Dadisetti Raja, is facing the possibility of arrest in the murder case of a local reporter in Tuni. The former minister from the Tuni assembly constituency in East Godavari district is under scrutiny in connection with the murder that took place in October 2019.

Despite the murder case being initially filed against Dadisetti Raja by the Tuni rural police, there was little progress in the investigation due to his high-profile status within the YSRCP, which was in power at the time. His name was even removed from the charge sheet in 2023. However, with the change in government to the Telugu Desam Party-led National Democratic Alliance, the case has been reopened.

The family of the slain reporter, Kata Satyanarayana of Andhra Jyothy daily, had raised concerns about the lack of progress in the case to TDP leader Nara Lokesh during a public event. This led to increased pressure on the authorities to take action, resulting in the recent dismissal of Dadisetti Raja's petition for anticipatory bail by the state high court.

In addition to Dadisetti Raja, five others have also been named as suspects in the murder case by the Tuni rural police. The slain reporter had previously reported receiving threats from a local rowdy individual, but the police did not take the complaint seriously at the time.