Prime accused senior cop surrenders in rowdy sheeter’s  murder case

VISAKHAPATNAM: In a key development to the murder case of city-based rowdy-sheeter Gedela Raju, the prime accused DSP Dasari Ravi Babu surrendered at Chodavaram police station on Friday. 
The murder case of Gedela Raju whose charred body was found near G Bhimavaram in Sabbavaram on October 7 took several interesting turns,  bringing to light the nexus of Dasari Ravi Babu and Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Raju, the editor of vernacular daily Kshatriya Bheri who hired nine people to eliminate the rowdy-sheeter. 

Of the total 12 accused in the case, the police nabbed nine members of the gang a few days ago, while the DSP, Srinivasa Raju and his driver Keshav were absconding. At around 10.30 am on Friday, Ravi Babu, the former ACP of Madhurawada who was later transferred as the DSP of APSRTC Vigilance wing, in casual wears came jogging to Chodavaram police station. To the surprise of the staffers, the absconded officer introduced him, saying that he wanted to surrender.  

“The DSP was in causal wears. Introducing him as an accused in the rowdy-sheeter murder case, Ravi Babu told us that he came to surrender,” a police staffer said on the condition of anonymity.  Ravi Babu allegedly roped in Gedela Raju to eliminate K Padmalatha, a  former MPP member and daughter of former MLA of Payakaraopeta, with whom he reportedly had an extra-marital affair.  
He allegedly paid `50 lakh to Gedela Raju, saying that an equal amount would be paid after the murder. The woman found dead under mysterious circumstances after a few days.  

With Gedela Raju pestering for the rest `50 lakh, the DSP allegedly   
teamed up with his friend  Srinivasa Raju to plan the murder of the rowdy-sheeter.
Police sources said that DSP might have taken shelter in Chodavaram for the past two weeks as he earlier had worked there in the capacity of an SI and CI and has a very good rapport with many locals.  However, after his surrender on Friday, the DSP pleaded innocence. 

“I am innocent and can prove this in the court of law,” the DSP  told the media.  However, he was silent when the media questioned him that why he surrendered at Chodavaram when the murder case was registered at New Port Police Station in Vizag.“Now that the prime accused (the DSP) has surrendered,  we will complete the investigation easily. After a brief interrogation, we will produce him before the court by Saturday evening,” a senior police officer told TNIE.Sources in the police said that the nine-member gang was hired by Srinivasa Raju at `5 lakh for the murder.

Srinivasa Raju in  police custody
Even as the police officials are saying that Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Raju, the editor of Kshatriya Bheri and his driver Keshav are on the run,  reliable sources said that both were already in police custody.  Both are now in the custody of Taskforce police station and the police are planning to produce the three remaining accused—DSP Ravi Babu,  Srinivasa Raju and Keshav—before the court on Saturday.