The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Court acquits Keshava Rao’s son in murder case

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Court acquits Keshava Rao’s son in murder case

Special Correspondent

‘Venkat not guilty of shooting to death B. Prashant Reddy’

Venkat says that the judgment has revealed the truth
Counsel for Prashant Reddy’s father blames police

HYDERABAD: Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member K. Keshava Rao’s son Venkat was acquitted by a court here on Thursday on the charges of murder of the latter’s friend in September last year.

The court found Venkat not guilty of the charge of shooting to death B. Prashant Reddy and ordered return of the firearm licence and an airgun recovered from him.

The incident, which occurred at Venkat’s residence in Jubilee Hills, had raised a storm resulting in Mr. Keshava Rao stepping down as the president of the AP Congress Committee (APCC).

Emerging from the court hall of the Second Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge L. Ravi Babu at the Nampally courts complex, Venkat told mediapersons that the truth was revealed by the judgment. Venkat’s lawyer, C. Mallesh Rao, said he had argued from day one that an illegal case was made out against his client to harass the family of Mr. Keshava Rao since his political career was in the upswing.

Mr. Mallesh Rao said Prashant Reddy had suffered a bullet injury in the temple due to “misfire” from a weapon in his hand. Venkat shifted the injured to hospital in his car unmindful of the consequences that could follow. The report of the Forensic Science Laboratory confirmed that the victim fired at himself. “My client is innocent,” he remarked.

Seeks time

N. Ramchander Rao, counsel for Prashant Reddy’s father Raghavender Reddy, said his client had sought time to make up his mind whether to appeal against the judgment.

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