rmed with new evidence that hints at the role of an associate of Jagan Mohan Reddy in the sensational murder of Telugu Desam Party MLA Paritala Ravi, the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh might reopen the case to rein in its former MP.
The Central Bureau of Investigation, which was handed the case by Jagan's father and the then Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, made no mention in its chargesheet of the findings from inquiry conducted into the involvement of Dantuluri Krishna, an associate of Jagan, in the Ravindra or Ravi murder case in 2005.
According to an internal note of the investigating agency, accessed by The Sunday Guardian, the line of inquiry before the filing of the chargesheet had been to interrogate Krishna to explore his political connections and role in the Ravi murder. He was even summoned by the CBI for interrogation.
The case was recently resurrected when the prime accused in the Ravindra or Ravi murder case, gangster Gangula Suryanarayana Reddy or Maddechervu Suri, was shot dead in Hyderabad on 3 January. Suri, according to the CBI, was approached by Krishna.
The CBI note dated 17 April 2005 and written by Superintendent of Police, CBI, Special Crime Branch, Chennai, Camp: Anantpur, provides the "information" on Dantuluri Krishna alias Mangali Krishna, belonging to Pulivendula, the native place of YSR.
"He is neighbour and frontman of Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who intends to take revenge against the killers of his grandfather, Y.S. Raja Reddy," the note states, adding that one Parthasarathy Reddy was thought to be the alleged killer.
{ | The TDP wants the case reopened as it thinks that the CBI was "influenced" by Rajasekhara Reddy. |
"Krishna is in contact with Suri for this purpose...Suri struck a bargain through Krishna to eliminate P aritala Ravindra and then Parthasarathy Reddy will be tackled," the note states, recommending that Krishna should be interrogated to "throw more light".
Following this, the Deputy Superintendent of Police, CBI, Anantpur, sent a notice to Krishna summoning him to be present for questioning on 19 April 2005, regarding the Ravi murder case.
Eight days later the CBI filed its chargesheet in the case but without any reference to Krishna or his interrogation.
The 27 April 2005 chargesheet is filed against 13 accused in the Ravi murder case. It states the investigation revealed that Suri, then lodged in the Cheralapalli jail "hatched a criminal conspiracy" with the help of the accused persons to "eliminate Paritala Ravindra".
According to the CBI, Suri had considered Ravi as "responsible for the killings of his father G. Narayana Reddy, during the year 1983 and other family members, in a TV bomb blast, during the year 1993".