Four held for attack on astrologer in Hyderabad

A week after an astrologer, Nagaraju, was shot at in a residential colony at Saroornagar, the police arrested four persons for their involvement in the attack. Eight others, including three hired killers, are at large.

The arrested persons were identified as Bhutham Srinivas Rao (36), S Chinna Srinivas (45), Singiri Delhi Babu (36) and Singiri Ganesh (25), all astrologers from Pinakadimi village in Pedavegi mandal of Eluru in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

Deputy Commissioner of Police L. B. Nagar, Tafseer Iqubal, said that the attack was a result of a fallout between the families of prime accused Bhutham Srinivas Rao and Nagaraju who stayed in the same village.

“Srinivas and Bhutham Govind Rao, who is absconding, were at loggerheads with Nagaraju after he killed their brother Durga Rao in 2014. There were disputes between them over domination in the village and the murder was a result of it,” the DCP said. Nagaraju went into hiding since then.

After coming to know about his whereabouts Srinivas Rao and Govind Rao contacted Sanjay Parcha from Delhi and paid him a huge sum of money to kill Nagaraju. He in turn roped in Chand Jagir and Saahil to execute the job.

The trio arrived in the city on March 30 and bought a second hand motorcycle. On April 1, Chand Jagir and Saahil kept a tab on Nagaraju’s movements. “When the duo spotted Nagaraju near his house, they chased and fired five shots at him before escaping on the bike,” Inspector Saroornagar K Narsing Rao said.

Nagaraju sustained four bullet wounds and was rushed to a private hospital at L. B. Nagar where he is recuperating. The police said that in 2014, Srinivas Rao and Govinda Rao got three relatives of Nagaraju, who were involved in the murder of Durga Rao, killed.

The trio was on way to appear in court when they were shot dead on Vijayawada Highway. At that point of time also they roped in Sanjay Parcha and paid him huge money.