By IANS
Hyderabad : The Andhra Pradesh government has handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) the murder probe involving the son of senior Congress party leader K. Keshava Rao, who resigned as the party’s state unit president Monday.
Venkat Rao, a real estate businessman, allegedly shot dead his business partner Prashant Reddy, at his residence Sunday evening. Venkat’s family members claimed that Prashant committed suicide but the latter’s relatives say it was a murder.
Police registered a case of murder against Venkat, who was arrested Monday night from Apollo Hospital, where he got himself admitted soon after the incident due to “shock”.
Venkat was taken to a police station and was questioned about the incident. The state government later transferred the investigation to the CID. A statement in this regard was issued from the chief minister’s office.
Venkat had called Prashant to his flat in Prashasan Nagar in Jubliee Hills to discuss a land deal. While Venkat’s wife claimed that Prashant took Venkat’s revolver and committed suicide, Prashant’s parents say it was murder as he had no reason to kill himself.
Keshava Rao, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, announced his resignation from the post of party president hours before his son’s arrest to ensure a “free, fair and impartial probe” into the incident.
The Congress leader also believed it was a case of suicide as his son had good relations with Prashant.
Keshava Rao, who hails from Telangana region, was appointed party president in 2004 after the Congress came to power in the state. His three-year term was to end next month.
This is the second shooting incident in the affluent Jubilee Hills neighbourhood in three years. Popular Telugu film actor Balakrishna had shot and injured two film producers at his residence in the same area. The actor had later got himself admitted to hospital.