By IANS
Hyderabad : A city court Wednesday remanded Venkat Rao, son of senior Andhra Pradesh Congress leader K. Keshava Rao, in judicial custody for two weeks in connection with the murder of Venkat’s business partner.
Venkat, who was arrested by police from a hospital Monday, was produced before a magistrate at the Nampally Criminal Court, which sent him to judicial custody till Sep 26.
Venkat, a real estate businessman, was later shifted to Chanchalguda Central Jail. A police officer said the court sent him to judicial custody on the basis of evidence produced by police before the court. The officer, however, declined to divulge the evidence gathered against Venkat.
Prashant Reddy, the business partner of Venkat, was killed under mysterious circumstances at Venkat’s house in Prashasan Nagar in the upmarket Jubilee Hills neighbourhood here Sunday.
Prashant, who had a bullet injury on his temple, was taken to Apollo Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. While Prashant’s family members alleged that Venkat shot him over a land deal, Venkat’s family claimed he committed suicide.
The case has taken a curious turn with a woman claiming she was the second wife of Prashant. Preeti told newsmen at a hospital in Secunderabad Wednesday that she was a business partner of Prashant and they got married last year in Vijayawada. She also showed photographs of the marriage in support of her claim.
The family of Prashant’s first wife Vilasani, however, alleges that this was a ploy by Venkat’s family to show Prashant’s death as a case of suicide and protect Venkat.
Venkat, who was questioned by police Tuesday, told the media that Prashant was under depression because of his two wives.
“He was my close friend and used to come to my house every day. We had no problem but he was depressed because of his two wives,” said Venkat while evading a direct reply as to why Prashant should commit suicide with Venkat’s revolver.
Interestingly, Venkat got himself admitted to Apollo Hospital saying he was suffering from ‘shock’. Police registered a case of murder against him on a complaint by Prashant’s family members.
Embarrassed by the development, Keshava Rao Monday announced his resignation as the president of the ruling Congress party in the state. He submitted his resignation to party president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi Tuesday.
Keshava Rao, also a member of the Rajya Sabha, defended his son Venkat, saying Prashant had committed suicide but added that he was resigning to facilitate a “free, fair and impartial probe” into the incident.