HEADWAY: Cyberabad Police Commissioner M. Mahendar Reddy (extreme right) presents (from right) Ravinder Reddy, Raju and Srikanth Reddy, who were nabbed in connection with the Chandanagar blast, before the media in Hyderabad on Monday. — Photo : K. Ramesh Babu

HYDERABAD : Julakanti Srinivas Reddy alias Moddu Sreenu came to the city to execute a contract killing for a payment of Rs. 20 lakhs, the Cyberabad police said on Monday.

A broker -- N. Venkateswar Reddy of Guntur -- allegedly offered the amount to Sreenu to `eliminate' Venkat Reddy, standing counsel of Associated Cement Corporation of India, staying in Hyderabad, in connection with a land dispute at Guntur.

Wanted by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the State police in MLA Paritala Ravi's murder case and four other killings, Sreenu got caught 10 days ago when an explosive device he was preparing went off in a lodge room at Chandanagar.

The plot

As per the plot, Sreenu's alleged accomplice Srikanth Reddy would take a parcel bomb to the house of the advocate at Anandnagar Colony, Khairatabad, in the guise of a courier agency employee. "Sreenu wanted to prepare the bomb in such a way that it would explode the moment the advocate opens it. But his plans went awry as the bomb went off in his hands," Cyberabad Commissioner M. Mahendar Reddy said.

Three persons -- Srikanth Reddy, who helped Sreenu put up in different lodges on the city fringes, Golla Raju, who allegedly supplied the explosive material, and Ravinder Reddy, who provided the SIM card -- were arrested.

Land dispute

The ACC had a limestone quarry spread over 300 acres of land containing 152 survey numbers at Khaja village in Guntur. The quarry was sold to a private company six years ago. Venkateswar Reddy and others brokered the deal but dispute arose over a piece of land admeasuring 10 to 13 acres.

They filed three suits and one criminal case making the ACC Company vice-president (legal) the party. Mr. Venkat Reddy was arguing the case on behalf of the ACC in the High Court.

The legal battle had been going on since 2003.

Venkateswar Reddy would gain nearly Rs. 1 crore if the verdict went in his favour, said the police.

"He even tried to bribe the advocate and later decided to get him killed as the latter refused to budge," the Commissioner said. Finally, he contacted Sreenu and paid an advance of Rs. 50,000.

How the broker got in touch with Sreenu would be found out after arresting Venkateswar Reddy who was still at large, he added.

Back in judicial remand

Meanwhile, Moddu Sreenu was sent back in judicial remand on Monday as his two-day police custody came to an end on Sunday. The Cyberabad police took him into custody on Saturday to question him in connection with the bomb blast in a lodge at Chandanagar.

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