Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

Babu protests innocence

Staff Reporter

Goes underground, to seek legal advice

LOOKING FOR CLUES: A policeman marks the place where a live cartridge fell during an attempt on the life of Vangaveeti Santan Kumar at the City Civil Courts Complex in Vijayawada on Friday.

VIJAYAWADA: TDP leader Katragadda Nagamalleswara Rao (Babu) on Friday denied having any role in the attempt on the life of Vangaveeti Santan Kumar and his followers. Asserting that he was innocent, Babu told The Hindu that he had been living a "peaceful life" after he joined the Telugu Desam Party a decade ago.

Babu refuted reports that he fled from the city fearing arrest by the police in the wake of the attack.

"I was in a marriage hall when I came to know about the incident. I informed the police well in advance that there will be an attack on Santan. But I have nothing to do with this," he claimed.

Babu said he was constrained to look for safety in view of possible attempts to implicate him. Despite two attempts on his life in the past, he had decided to lead a peaceful life because of age and desire to join mainstream politics, he said.

Sources close to Babu said that he would not visit his house or come in the open for some more time, and would use the period to seek legal advice.

As his name figured among the accused, Babu was prepared to take all precautions to avoid getting into trouble.

Babu and Santan, who have had a longstanding feud, were said to have decided to bury the hatchet following the mediation of former Union

Patch-up bid

Minister Ummareddy Venkateswarlu, who intervened at the instance of Santan's father and former MLA Vangaveeti Chalapati Rao.

Former Minister Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao was also believed to have helped by speaking to both groups.

Babu had often stated that he had decided to maintain silence though Santan was the accused in the murder of his brother Katragadda Venkata Narayana, a prominent CPI leader. A few years ago, there was an attack on Santan in which Babu was an accused.

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