Accused MPTC member surrenders to police

VIJAYAWADA: A day after the killing of Ganji Prasad, YSRC village unit president, at G Kothapalli in Dwaraka Tirumala mandal of Eluru district, the main suspect in the case, Bazaraiah, an MPTC member, surrendered to police. Meanwhile, an uneasy calm prevailed in the village. The last rites of Prasad were performed amid tight security.

Bazaraiah, who went absconding soon after the murder of Prasad on Saturday morning, spoke to some television channels on Sunday and reiterated that he was not involved in the killing. Denying all the allegations levelled against him, including his involvement in a land scam, Bazaraiah said he was ready to surrender to police to prove his innocence. 

In the evening, he surrendered to Dwaraka Tirumala police. Meanwhile, the police registered a case under Sections 120b (criminal conspiracy) and 302 (murder) of the IPC against Bazaraiah (the accused No 1) and eight others. Three of the suspects had surrendered to police on Saturday morning itself. The police are collecting all evidence, including the CCTV footage in the area, as part of their investigation.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Taneti Vanitha, former minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas (Nani) and Rajamahendravaram MP Margani Bharat Ram visited the village amid tight security in view of Saturday’s incident where Gopalapuram MLA Talari Venkata Rao was attacked by a mob alleging his role in the killing.  

Vanitha said an impartial inquiry will be conducted into the murder and no one involved in it will be spared. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was in Delhi on Saturday, took a serious view of the incident and directed police to spare no one involved in the killing, she said, promising to extend all help to the family of Prasad. 

She also said the attack on MLA was a planned one and those involved in it will be booked. The police have registered a case against 54 villagers in connection with the attack on the MLA. The case was registered based on a complaint lodged by an injured constable. Meanwhile, the family members of Prasad reiterated that the murder was pre-planned. “The assailants had hatched a conspiracy to murder Prasad 20 days ago and even conducted a recce,’’ they alleged.