Raghavendra surrenders to cops
With the issue of Paloncha family committing suicide in LPG cylinder blast snowballing, Vanama Raghavendra, son of Kothagudem MLA Vanama Venkateswara Rao, who has been named as being responsible for the family’s death, surrendered before Hyderabad police on Thursday.
Police have booked cases under 302, 306 and 307 of IPC against Raghavendra.
In the suicide note before triggering the LPG blast, Ramakrishna, the head of the family, charged: “Raghavendra harassed me by every means. He sought sexual favour by sending my wife to him. It has hurt me a lot and I am taking such a drastic step,” the family head said in the video recorded before he triggered the blast. The video has gone viral on social media
Political parties and social organisations have condemned the incident and demanded arrest of Raghavendra. Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy wrote a letter to DGP Mahender Reddy demanding arrest of the ruling party MLA’s son. Venkat Reddy said atrocities committed by Raghavender are getting exposed one by one in Kothagudem constituency.
In his open letter to people, the Kothagudem MLA, however, said: “I have been in hospital for the last one month. I feel sad after hearing about the suicide of Ramakrishna and his family. Raghavendra will face action if he did commit such a crime. I will not allow my son in any party or official programme in Kothagudem assembly constituency,” Venkateswara Rao said.
Communist Party of India (CPI) has called for Kothagudem bandh on Friday demanding arrest of Vanama Raghavender and resignation of Vanama Venkateswara Rao as MLA. CPI leader Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao went on to accuse police of supporting Raghavender’s activities in Kothagudem.