Hyderabad: A TRS leader, who had barged into residence of TRS MLA A. Jeevan Reddy with a gun to kill him, has been arrested, Hyderabad police said on Monday.
Paddagani Prasad Goud, a TRS leader from Nizamabad district, has been nabbed by the police, which also seized a country-made gun with extra magazine, an air pistol, two cylinders, three boxes of air rifle pellets, and a button knife.
The police revealed that on the night of August 1, Prasad had entered the MLA’s house in Banjara Hills and pointed a gun at him as he was going to have dinner. On seeing the accused, Jeevan Reddy shouted to alert his staff and the accused fled from there.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Joel Davis told reporters that Prasad bore grudge against the MLA as he suspected that he was responsible for suspension of his wife Lavanya as Sarpanch of Kalladi village in Makloor mandal (block) and for not releasing Rs 20 lakh towards the pending bills of the development works undertaken in the village.
Prasad, who was looking after the work of his wife, had spent Rs 20 lakh on development works from his pocket. In February this year, the District Collector had suspended Lavanya as the Sarpanch on the basis of a report submitted by Makloor MPA about some irregularities. Following the suspension, the bills were not cleared.
The accused suspected that the MLA influenced the collector and got his wife suspended. With an intention to harm the MLA, Prasad Goud purchased the button knife from Maharashtra’s Nanded and an air pistol from Mustafa Arms & Ammunition, Nampally, Hyderabad with the help of Santosh.
Prasad also came in contact with a woman Suguna, who, in turn, introduced him to Surendhar Dayawathi over phone. The police investigation revealed that Suguna informed Prasad that a firearm was available with Munna Kumar of Bihar for Rs 60,000. Prasad paid the amount to Suguna, who transferred the same to Munna kumar through D. Srihari.
On July 15, Surender met Prasad at Bheemgal village, Nizamabad, and handed over a country-made pistol without rounds. Prasad along with Damai Sagar went to Muzaffarpur in Bihar on July 25 to get ammunition but Munna Kumar failed to deliver it.
On August 1, Prasad left Nizamabad in his car along with a firearm, air pistol, and button knife and reached MLA’s residence in Banjara Hills. He enquired about the presence of the MLA from cook Gangadhar. Prasad went to the third floor, opened the door of the MLA’s bedroom and pointed a gun at him. On seeing the accused, Jeevan Reddy shouted and alerted his staff. The accused fled from there. Police said he was arrested on Sunday.
The other five accused – Suguna, Surender, Santosh, Sagar, and Munna Kumar – are absconding.
–IANS