YSRCP leader Gowtham Reddy booked for attempt to murder

Vijayawada: Satyanarayanapuram police arrested four persons in connection with the attack and attempt to murder case of Ganduri Uma Maheswara Sarma, a resident of Sivalayam street in Satyanarayanapuram and are looking for YSRCP leader and former FiberNet Corporation chairman Punuru Gowtham Reddy, who reportedly ordered the killing of Sarma.

Uma Maheswara Sarma lodged a complaint to the police that a gang of people attacked him and tried to murder when he was at home on November 6 with regard to a dispute case. Sarma said the YSRCP leader and AP FiberNet chairman former chairman P Gowtham Reddy hatched a conspiracy to kill him and sent the accused to his home to attack and murder him. Sarma alleged that Gowtham Reddy had forcibly taken 375 yard house site and constructed two storey building in Lakshmi Nagar, Satyanarayanapuram.

Vijayawada commissioner of police SV Rajasekhara Babu told the media on Thursday that the complainant Sarma came from the USA in 2017 and found that his land was encroached upon by Gowtham Reddy and lodged a complaint with the police.

Later, the police registered a case against Gowtham Reddy. He moved the AP High Court claiming that the house site belongs to him. The High court ordered status quo, said the commissioner. Both Sarma and Gowtham Reddy claim the ownership of the house site. The commissioner said Gowtham Reddy constructed two-storey building on the site and refused to vacate. Sarma told the police that Gowtham Reddy had constructed a house and became influential leader in the YSRCP government.

Sarma uploaded some videos highlighting how Gowtham Reddy grabbed his land and the videos became a sensation. Irked by these videos, Gowtham Reddy decided to murder him and sent some youth to do it.

Sarma told the police that followers of Gowtham Reddy threatened him to stop uploading videos on October 31, 2024.

Based on the complaint given by Sarma, the police booked a case and verified the CC footage. They arrested four persons near Vijayawada railway station on Wednesday night in connection with the attack.

The arrested persons were identified as Gaddam Vinod (25 years) alias Chinni of Chillakallu village, Taluri Ganesh aged 19 of Kaka Nagaram, Devalla Vamsi of Chakali Bazar aged 21 years and U Ashok Kumar, 20, of Kagitala Bazar of Jaggaiahpet mandal. The CP said all belong to Jaggaiahpet mandal.

The commissioner Babu said the police registered case on Gowtham Reddy for hatching a conspiracy to kill Sarma. Besides, cases were also booked on Anil, Pridhvi Raju, Bitra Purushottam and Banda Srinu. The CP said the police are yet to arrest the remaining accused as they are at large.

The police booked a case with Crime No 364/2024/Under Section 309(6), 109(2), 61(2), 49 BNS Act on Gautham Reddy and others for the attack on Sarma. The CP said the police seized a knife used to attack and two cell phones.

The commissioner of police said 42 criminal cases were registered so far under NTR commissionerate limits on Gowtham Reddy since 1988. Two murder cases, two attempted murder cases, one dacoity, two robbery cases, two cheating cases, disputes, assault and other cases were booked under the police station limits of Satyanarayanapuram, Singh Nagar, One Town, Governor Pet, Krishna Lanka, Nunna and Suryaraopet. Besides, 34 cases were registered under special Acts on Gowtham Reddy. The CP also said history-sheet against Gowtham was closed during the

previous government and they will look into why it was done.

Gowtham Reddy was the chairman of the AP FiberNet Corporation till recently and earlier contested in the Assembly elections in Vijayawada in 2014 on behalf of YSRCP.