Hyderabad, March 24 (IANS) A city court Thursday refused to grant anticipatory bail to Sirish Bharadwaj, son-in-law of Telugu superstar-turned-politician K. Chiranjeevi, in a dowry harassment case.

Additional metropolitan sessions judge (VIII) R. Sudhakar Naidu of Nampally criminal court rejected Sirish's plea for anticipatory bail in the case filed by his 23-year-old wife Srija.

Police on March 15 had registered a case against Sirish and his mother following a complaint by Sirija that they were harassing her for dowry.

The court, which earlier granted conditional anticipatory bail to Sirish's mother, rejected his application after the prosecution opposed it on the ground that he could tamper with the evidence. Police also told the court that he has a criminal record and has physically assaulted his wife for dowry.

The court was also informed that a case was booked against Sirish in 2002 for kidnapping a girl but he was acquitted as the girl did not appear before the court fearing humiliation.

According to Chiranjeevi's daughter, Sirish was demanding Rs.50 lakh and he even assaulted her.

Srija, younger daughter of Chiranjeevi, had eloped with Sirish and married him in 2007 against the wishes of her parents. The couple had even approached a court seeking protection from the her parents.

Chiranjeevi, who had floated his Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) but merged it with Congress recently, and his wife later accepted the marriage after Srija gave birth to a baby girl.