Telangana lawyer couple murder: Peddapalli zilla parishad chairman Putta Madhu arrested; Kishan Rao says ex-min involved

PEDDAPALLI : Even as a special police team arrested Peddapalli Zilla Parishad Chairman Putta Madhu from a hotel room in Bhimavaram in AP, Gattu Kishan Rao, father of slain High Court Advocate Vaman Rao, on Saturday, accused, besides Madhu, a former minister of being involved in the murder of his son and daughter-in-law. The lawyer couple were killed on February 17, 2021 at Kalvacherla in Ramagiri mandal in the district.

As the police brought Madhu from AP to Ramagundam in the early hours, Kishan Rao later in the day, while speaking to a television channel, said: “If the police investigate the case properly, involvement of leaders from village to Hyderabad level becomes clear. I am certain that a former minister had helped Madhu in eliminating my son and daughter-in-law.” He also accused the Peddapalli MLA of calling up the hospital to where the lawyer couple were taken on February 17 with bleeding injuries, asking the authorities not give them treatment.

He warned that if the police did not investigate the case properly, he would knock the doors of the High Court for a CBI inquiry. Kishan Rao did not name neither the former minister nor the Peddapalli MLA and referred to them by their designations alone.

Earlier in the day, after bringing Madhu in the early hours to Ramagundam, the police began quizzing him on his role in the murder. The police arrested him after Kishan Rao lodged a fresh complaint with Warangal IG, alleging Madhu’s role in the murder. The police reportedly asked the ZP chairman why he had gone into hiding if he had no role in the murder and are now analysing the call data on his phone to learn as to whom he has been in touch with during the days of his disappearance.

Kishan Rao, in his latest complaint, said that the motive for the murder was that Vaman Rao and his wife had filed several petitions in courts against Madhu and his wife Shailaja, who is Manthani municipal chairperson. He said that Madhu, who nursed a grudge against the couple, was waiting for an opportune time to eliminate them. Kishan Rao wanted police officers to file a water-tight case against the accused and ensure that all of them are awarded capital punishment.

The police also came to know that before the commission of the twin murders, Madhu had withdrawn `2 crore from a bank. Later, for eliminating the lawyer couple, Bittu Seenu, nephew of Madhu and also one of the accused in the case, provided a car to Kunta Srinu, another accused and a close associate of Madhu.
The police are likely to file a chargesheet by May 17.