Vanama Raghavendra, the main accused wanted in connection with the Old Paloncha-based businessman's family suicide case, was reportedly arrested by the police from an undisclosed location somewhere along the inter State border with Andhra Pradesh around Friday midnight.
Raghavendra, son of TRS legislator from Kothagudem Vanama Venkateshwar Rao, was picked up by the district police late in the night and brought him to Kothagudem for questioning.
Raghavendra is in the eye of the storm following serious allegations of abetting a debt-ridden businessman Ramakrishna to commit suicide along with his wife and two daughters in Old Paloncha on Monday. Ramakrishna’s selfie video, in which he squarely blamed Raghava for driving him to take the extreme decision unable to digest his "ulterior motives" targeting his wife, sparked public outcry.
Polic3e had put a notice outside the residence of Raghava in old Paloncha town on Thursday night. In the notice Raghava was summoned to report before the investigating officer (Manuguru ASP) at 12.30 pm on Friday in connection with the probe into suicide abetment case . However, he did not turn up before the investigating officer
Earlier in the day, the JAC representing various Opposition parties observed a bandh in Kothagudem constituency demanding the arrest of Raghava and resignation of his father Vanama Venkateshwar Rao as Kothagudem MLA.
Meanwhile, the ruling TRS suspended Vanama Raghavendra Rao alias Raghava with immediate effect.
Acting on the instruction of party president K. Chandrasekhar Rao, general secretary of the party Palla Rajeshwar Reddy and in-charge of party affairs in Bhadradri-Kothagudem N. Naresh Reddy suspended Raghava from TRS.
Raghava’s father Mr. Venkateswara Rao was elected to the Assembly on a Congress ticket in the December 2018 elections but joined the ruling party along with six other MLAs later.
