IAS man, son held for driver’s murder

CCTV image indicates officer’s car was in the locality

West Zone police has arrested IAS officer D. Venkateswara Rao, deputy director of marketing and cooperation in the Department of Agriculture, and his 19year-old son D. Venkata Sukruth, in connection with the murder of driver B. Nagaraj on March 17.

Police say they have an eyewitness and CCTV footage that place Mr Rao near the site of the murder, Sai Kalyan Residency, on the night of March 18, one day after the murder. Mr Rao was there to help his son move and dispose of the victim’s body, the police allege.

He has been named the second accused in the first information report.

Strangely, Mr Rao took his younger son, a teenager, with him when they drove to the apartment. Police say the second son, who is a minor, had no clue about the murder and did not know where they were going.

According to West Zone DCP A. Venkateswara Rao, “While Rao and his younger son waited in the car, Sukruth went to the terrace and covered the body in a bedsheet, which was kept there to dry. When Sukruth was coming down with the body, one of the residents, M. Janaki Ramaiah, caught him and woke up other residents. Sukruth pushed them and ran from there and escaped by jumping over the compound wall. He then got into the car, which was driven by IAS official Rao.”

“As they were fleeing, residents followed them shouting ‘Thief! Thief!’ Meanwhile, a roadside fruit vendor, whom we have as a witness now, clearly saw Rao driving the car.”

Mr Rao had picked up his younger son from a flat in Madhura Nagar, where his son’s friend, P. Shyam Sunder was also present. “Shyam Sunder has testified that Rao’s son went out with his father saying he would be back in five minutes. He testified seeing Rao also,” said the DCP.

Reconstructing the murder scene, the DCP said, “Sukruth caught hold of Nagaraj’s neck and choked him. He also picked up a stone from the terrace and hit him with it on the head.”

According to the police, Sukruth and the victim Nagaraj were close and used to drink together and were in a homosexual relationship. But during questioning, Sukruth claimed that he was irritated when Nagaraj made sexual advances.

“He claims he got angry when Nagaraju touched him inappropriately and tried to sodomise him,” said a police official.