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‘Former AP minister Bhuma Akhila Priya planned, executed kidnap’

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, City Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar said the investigation so far indicated that it was an organised crime, 'meticulously planned and executed by Akhila Priya herself'.

By Telangana Today

Published Date - 11 January 2021, 04:28 PM

‘Former AP minister Bhuma Akhila Priya planned, executed kidnap’

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad City Police termed the Bowenpally kidnap case an organised crime conspired and executed by former Andhra Pradesh minister Bhuma Akhila Priya and her associates. Three more suspects, including her personal assistant, were arrested here on Monday.

The arrested persons were N.Mallikarjun Reddy (32), a private employee from Miyapur, B.Sampath Kumar (23), PA to Akhila Priya and a resident of Lodha Belleza apartments in Kukatpally, and D.Bala Chennaiah (30), a driver from Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, City Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar said the investigation so far indicated that it was an organised crime, ‘meticulously planned and executed by Akhila Priya herself’.

“Right from the purchasing of SIM cards for the commission of the offence to procuring fake vehicle number plates, everything was planned,” he said, adding that the police had seized three mobile phones and fake number plates of two-wheelers.

Officials said six SIM cards were purchased through Mallikarjun Reddy from a mobile store in Miyapur. At the time of purchase, he gave his biometric thumb and other details.

“Of the six SIM cards, one was used by Akhila Priya for coordinating with her associates. This evidence is there to prove that all of them are involved in the crime,” Anjani Kumar said, adding that the confession statement of Sampath Kumar and the mobile phone tower location too from Vijayawada to Hyderabad was there to link her.

As per her instructions, her associates had conducted a recce of Praveen Rao’s house in Bowenpally and collected technical details, which they shared to Akhila Priya’s husband Bhargav Ram and Guntur Srinu, both of whom are absconding.

The Commissioner refuted allegations that there were no women police officers while arresting Akhila Priya and that she was ill. On the other hand, teams deployed to nab Bhargav Ram, Srinivas Choudhary alias Guntur Srinu and others in Hyderabad and Allagadda and other places in Andhra Pradesh were still on the job.

The kidnap episode on January 5, has been found to have links to Praveen Rao and his brother purchasing a 25-acre land near Hafeezpet in 2016. The deal was reportedly mediated by AV Subba Reddy with the assistance of the late Bhuma Nagi Reddy, Akhila Priya’s father. Though Praveen Rao had paid a huge sum to Subba Reddy, with market value shooting up, Subba Reddy and Akhila Priya allegedly began harassing him for more money.

As Praveen and his brothers were not willing to give more money or share in the land, the former minister and her husband allegedly hatched a conspiracy to threaten them by kidnapping.

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