VH demands CBI probe into Paritala murder

Congress Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao on Sunday demanded that the state government order a fresh probe, preferably by the Central Bureau of Investigation into 2005 murder case of Anantapur Telugu Desam Party MLA Paritala Ravindra.

Talking to media persons at his residence in Amberpet, the senior Congress leader said a probe by the CBI would put an end to the speculations which are being aired regarding the involvement of Kadapa leader and son of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy, YS Jaganmohan Reddy into the murder.

Mr Hanumantha Rao said that the recent spate of news stories regarding Mr Jaganmohan Reddy’s role into Mr Paritala Ravindra’s death have given rise to restlessness among the people and their doubts must be put at rest. The senior leader said that these doubts could be only put at rest if a thorough probe is conducted and the guilty identified.

It may be mentioned here that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy had stirred the hornets’ nest recently by saying that he had worked hard to extricate Mr Jaganmohan Reddy from being implicated in the murder case.

Mr Kiran Kumar Reddy’s statement had had the affect of the Telugu Desam Party calling him to step down for helping someone escape the law, while the Chief Minister came under fire from the Jagan-cam for implying that the Kadapa leader was involved in the case.

Mr Hanumantha Rao on Sunday asked Mr Jaganmohan Reddy to come out clean on the issue in the wake of reports appearing against him in various media channels.

When pointed out that Mr Jaganmohan Reddy’s uncle and Agriculture Minister, YS Vivekananda Reddy had on Saturday said that the former MP had nothing to do with the murder case, Mr Hanumantha Rao said that statement was the Minister’s personal opinion.

Reacting on the threatening calls to Minister for Textiles and Handlooms P Shankar Rao and Minister for Health DL Ravindra Reddy, the Rajya Sabha said he had also received such threatening calls.