Police have clinching evidence against TDP leader: SP Ravindranath Babu

Vijayawada: Krishna district Superintendent of Police M Ravindranath Babu on Saturdayasserted that former Minister and TDP leader Kollu Ravindra had orchestrated the murder of YSRCP leader and former Market Yard Committee Chairman Moka Bhaskara Rao. The former Minister had set his friend and follower Nancharaiah against the YSRCP leader.

Ranvindra Babu said the police had collected evidence of Ravindra's involvement in the murder of the YSRCP leader on June 29 in Machilipatnam. The former Minister had lent his support and encouragement to his follower to murder Bhaskara Rao.

Ravindra was produced before the Magistrate through videoconferencing.He was later remanded in judicial custody and sent to the Sub-Jail in Machilipatnam. He was booked under the sections of 302 and 109 IPC. He was arrested in East Godavari while he was on his way to Visakhapatnam in a car. He was brought back to Machilipatnam and produced in the court.

The SP, while speaking to media on Saturday, narrated the sequence of events that led to the arrest of Ravindra. The police had arrested six persons, including the former Minister, in the murder case. The police had earlier arrested fivepersons, Chinta Chinna, Chinta Nacharaiah, Chinta Nagamalli alias Naga Malleswara Rao and Chinta Vamsi Krishna and a minor, he said.

The political rivalry and caste between the YSRCP leader and Chinta Nancharaiah had led to the murder of the former. The plot to murder Bhaskara Rao was planned five days ahead of the murder. In fact, the former Minister had asked his followers to call him, if necessary, after executing the murder. He told them that his personal assistant would respond to their phone calls, the SP said. One of the accused had even spoken to the former Minister's personal assistant for 10 minutes on phone before carrying out the plot on June 29. Even after committing the murder, one of the accused, Nancharaiah, told the former Minister that work was completed and the latter advised the former to be careful, the SP said. The police possessed clinching evidence of the former Minister's role in the murder. Three police teams were constituted to nab the former Minister who was absconding. A police team led by Circle Inspector Venkata Narayana arrested him in East Godavari district.

Moka Venkateswaramma, the wife of Moka Bhaskara Rao, alleged Kollu Ravindra was behind the murder of her husband. She demanded punishment to the TDP leader.