Naidu's Alipiri criminals punished 7 years jail

Additional senior Civil Judge Venkataramana of the District Sessions Court in Tirupati on Friday awarded seven years imprisonment to four Maoists in connection with the attack on Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu at Alipiri in October 2003.

The verdict, delivered in the jam-packed Court, convicted the four accused—Nagarjuna, Gangi Reddy, Narayana Swamy Reddy and Pandu Ranga Reddy of being guilty of the attack and awarded them to undergo seven years imprisonment, besides imposing a fine of Rs 5,000 also.

The incident took place when the TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu was travelling towards the Tirumala Hills to attend the Srivari Garuda Seva in his capacity as Chief Minister. He was scheduled to offer the ‘Pattu Vastras’ at  Alipiri on October 1, 2003. The Naxalites triggered off a powerful Claymore mine in the path of his convoy.

Besides Mr Naidu, Bojjala Gopalakrishna Reddy and other two MLAs were injured in the attack.

The government appointed a special inquiry team to look into the case. The inquiry team had listed 96 persons as witnesses and 33 as accused in the case.