The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Naidu denies Seenu killer’s links with TDP

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Tuesday, Nov 11, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Naidu denies Seenu killer’s links with TDP

Tells Congress to remove Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy from the post

There are many holes in the official version, says the Telugu Desam chief
Convicted prisoners and undertrials should not be confined to the same barrack

HYDERABAD: Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu has denied that Om Prakash, the prime accused in the murder of Moddu Seenu in Anantapur jail, had any links with his party.

Asked about reports to that effect at a press conference, he reacted angrily and quipped, “In what way are we connected? Who brought him into the barrack?” He said that Om Prakash’s brother-in-law was chairman of a market committee belonging to the Congress. Was it difficult to buy a “thief” when they were “purchasing MPs and cine stars?” he asked in an indirect reference to the ruling party. Om Prakash was obviously made to ask about former TDP MP K. Srinivasulu since he could not recognise him when he accompanied the four-member TDP team to the jail, he added.

‘Suppressing facts’

He charged the government with suppressing facts and demanded Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy to either resign or the Congress party remove him from his post.

Asserting that there were many contradictions in the official version, he said that Seenu was killed in a pre-planned manner and his party would take the issue to the people. Refuting the version of Anantapur Superintendent of Police M. K. Singh that a tiff over switching off light had led to the murder, he said lights have to be switched on throughout the night as per the jail manual.

Similarly, convicted prisoners and undertrials should not be confined to the same barrack. In this case, Seenu was convicted for seven years in an earlier case while the rest were undertrials. Besides, every night the jail authorities go around the prison and check to ensure that prisoners were not in possession of articles like blades and yet the cement dumb-bell found its way in. The prison doctor had confirmed Seenu had died in the jail in contrast to the claim that he died later.

Also, no inquest was conducted at the spot and the body shifted to the hospital immediately. He sought answers from the government on the reasons for shifting Om Prakash to Seenu’s barrack and the leave taken by the jail superintendent. Criticising the suspension of two warders, he demanded that Jailor Varun Reddy be suspended.

Mr. Naidu alleged that Paritala Ravi’s murder was entrusted to the CBI to water down the case and protect those behind it.

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