Vanama Raghava, son of TRS legislator from Kothagudem Vanama Venkateshwara Rao, who was arrested by the police in connection with a businessman family’s suicide case, has been remanded in judicial custody for two weeks.
Raghava, 58, had been on the run ever since the Paloncha police registered a case against him under Sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and 306 (abetment to suicide) of the IPC on a complaint filed by a relative of the deceased. The grisly incident of suicide by a debt-ridden 40-year-old Ramakrishna, who set on fire his wife and two daughters injuring them fatally before immolating himself at his house in Old Paloncha in the wee hours of Monday, sent shock waves across the State.
A police team apprehended Raghava while he was heading towards Hyderabad at Mandalapalli crossroads on Friday night. On Saturday morning, he was produced before a local court, which remanded him in 14-day judicial custody. Raghava was lodged in the sub-jail in the temple town of Bhadrachalam later in the day.
Selfie video
Public anger against the “tainted politician” mounted after Ramakrishna’s heart-rending selfie video surfaced on social media on Tuesday. The victim in his suicide note as well as selfie video accused Raghava of mentally harassing him to send his wife to a hotel room on the pretext of settling a property dispute between him and his sister. The suicide note also contained the names of Ramakrishna’s mother and sister. He squarely blamed Raghava for his extreme step.
A near total bandh was observed in Kothagudem constituency by the JAC of the main opposition parties and women’s organisations demanding harshest punishment to the accused in the abetment-to-suicide case and also the resignation of Venkateshwara Rao as Kothagudem MLA, to pave way for a free and fair investigation into the ghastly incident. The ruling TRS on Friday expelled Raghava from the party.
Announcing the arrest of Raghava, Paloncha Assistant Superintendent of Police Rohith Raj said two persons - Girish and Murali were also taken into custody along with Raghava, adding that the duo and two others Chava Srinivas and Ramakanth were booked under Section 212 on charges of “harbouring the offender”.
“Raghava confessed to the crime of abetment to suicide,” the ASP said responding to a specific query.
Raghava was involved in 11 other cases booked against him under Section 307 (attempt to murder), Section 306 (abetment to suicide) and Section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) in the past, the ASP said, asserting that a detailed investigation was underway into all the cases.
Meanwhile, mild commotion prevailed in Paloncha town on Saturday when an aggrieved woman openly expressed her anger against Raghava charging him with resorting to “outrageous acts” with impunity by virtue of his “political clout.” She sought expeditious investigation and trial into nearly dozen cases including two “abetment to suicide” cases pending against him.
