Ex-DCP Radhakishan Rao, others booked for extortion

Hyderabad: A case has been registered against the former Task Force Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) P Radhakishan Rao, and other officers, including Inspector Gattumallu and SI Mallikarjun, for alleged extortion and kidnapping.

The police alleged that the officers forced the chairman Venumadhav Chennupati and other directors of Kria Health Care for the exchange of shares and ownership.

Venumadhav had lodged a complaint with the Jubilee Hills police after Radhakishan Rao’s recent arrest in the phone-tapping case. A case had been registered under sections 386, 365, 341, and 120(b), along with section 34 of the IPC. Radhakishan allegedly aided in the hostile takeover of Kria Healthcare Pvt Ltd valued at Rs 100 crore from its founder.

The complainant had urged the city police to investigate the matter comprehensively, including the role of Radhakishan, Chandrasekhar Vege, four part-time directors of Kria Healthcare, and others involved. The complainant had said that Kria Healthcare had four shareholders--Venu 60 per cent, Balaji 20 per cent, Gopal 10 per cent and Raj 10 per cent. The company had a total of six directors, including two full-time Venu and Balaji, and four part-time, Gopal, Raj, Naveen, and Ravi. This was followed by retaliatory legal action from the four part-time directors in 2018, accusing him of non-distribution of shares.

The authorities had ignored their initial complaint on October 3, 2018, he even met the ACP Banjara Hills to complain about the issue. In his complaint, Venu Madhav stated “I was made to sign the settlement agreement with weapons being shown at me, and I had to sign the agreement to save my life.”

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a Nampally court extended the remand of Radhakishan Rao until April 12, in the phone-tapping case. The police brought Rao to court as his remand ends on Wednesday after conducting medical tests at Gandhi Hospital.

In the court, Rao complained to the judge about jail authorities not permitting him to use the library and to meet the superintendent. Rao, who had worked as OSD in the Task Force after superannuation, is being questioned about his alleged involvement in the illegal surveillance, including phone-tapping of individuals and disappearance of evidence pertaining to the surveillance that took place during the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government. He is also accused of facilitating the illegal transport of cash at the behest of BRS during the recent Assembly elections.

The issue came to light after DSP Praneeth Rao was arrested initially for alleged illegal tapping phones of the Opposition parties.

Radhakishan Rao has been named 4A in the phone-tapping case, which came to light last month, causing a stir in political circles.