Ashok Chakra for ANdhra Cop killed by Maoists

Slain Greyhounds inspector K L V S S N V Prasad Babu was posthumously awarded Ashok Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award of the country, on the occasion of 65th Republic Day today in New Delhi. The award was received by Prasad Babu's father Karanam Venkatramana Naidu from President Pranab Mukherjee before the commencement of the Republic Day Parade. "We are proud to be part of AP police after the Government India awarded prestigious award of Ashok Chakra to Prasad Babu for his outstanding service to the police and people. Prasad had done great work with commitment that was recognised by the Indian Government. Police should take inspiration from him and work hard,’ Director General of Police (DGP) B Prasada Rao told Express.  Meanwhile, the villagers of Marturu, native place of Prasad Babu in Visakhapatnam district celebrated the occasion exchanging sweetmeat after his father K Venkatramana Naidu received the award from President Pranab Mukherjee. Many youngsters and students took oath administered by local police that they would be ready to join police department and serve people taking an inspiration slain Reserved Inspector, Greyhounds Prasad Babu. Fighting tears, Karanam Chaitanya, Prasad Babu's sister, told Express that when he fought with extremists and was gunned down by Maoists, we thought he was great son of my family. The Indian Government made my brother as a great son of the Nation by awarding Ashok Chakra recognising his service to the people and police department. She recalled her memories with Prasad Babu who used to encourage youngsters in the village to study well and motivated many parents to send their children to schools. He used to read books related Swamy Vivekananda and inspired towards serving people. "It was unfortunate that that Prasad Babu died fighitng the naxaliteseat. He was a committed police officer and he made us very proud receiving such prestigious award. We direct all police officers to take inspiration from him and move forward in enforcing law and order perfectly’ added Additional DGP VSK Kaumudi. Prasad Babu played a key role in killing nine Maoists and injuring several others. On April 16 last year, about 70 Maoists carried out IED blasts near Andhra-Chhattisgarh border and fired indiscriminately on the Greyhounds unit led by Prasad Babu. He and  and his unit charged towards the Maoists, killing nine of them. The next day, the commandos were being evacuated by helicopters. When 19 commandos were to be picked up for the last sortie of evacuation, about 60-70 Maoists attacked the helicopter. While 14 commandos boarded the helicopter, 4 commandos along with Babu began retaliatory firing. After the helicopter left, the Maoists began encircling the commandos. Prasad Babu then urged the 4 other commandos to retreat to a direction while holding the nearly 200 Maoists single-handedly until the others reached a safe spot. He died in the process. Prasad Babu was a native of Marturu village in Visakhapatnam district. He joined police department as a sub-inspector in 2004 and was subsequently promoted as an inspector. His father Karanam Venkataramaiah is a retired SI of the Fifth Battalion of Vizianagaram. "Prasad Babu was a role model for many youngsters in the area. We knew about his soldierly deeds. He used to visit the village for Sankranti and we had a good time playing volleyball at the Bojjannakonda festival. The Local MRO has given permission and the police department will erect a statue of Prasad Babu in Martur village shortly. Police staff, villagers would organise reception to Prasad Babu’s parents Venkat Ramana and Satyawathi who received award from Pranab Mukherjee,’ said Inspector G Srinivas, Anakapalli Rural, Visakhapatnam district. 

By Moule Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Anuhya Case: Search on for 'Key Player'

After Mumbai police detained some suspects in 23-year-old software engineer Anuhya’s rape and murder case, a special team, which has been constituted, is searching for a ‘key person’ for his alleged role in the kidnap, sexual assault and murder of the victim. The investigation team found that the key person’s mobile number remained switched off for a long time. A day after Mumbai police commissioner Satyapal Singh said that they had detained some suspects in connection with Anuhya’s case, Mumbai police have intensified their probe.The police have obtained some leads in the case after a thorough interrogation of the suspects. Highly placed sources told Express that the initial probe has revealed that the victim was kidnapped, assaulted sexually and murdered by a group of people. The victim, however, was murdered somewhere else in Mumbai and the body was dumped in an isolated place near the National Highway in Kanjurmarg police limits. After the investigating teams collected some inputs from suspects, the police are searching for a ‘key person’ involved in the offence. “If we find the whereabouts of the key person, the case will be cracked,” the sources said. A team of Mumbai police would visit Machilipatnam, the native place of the victim, shortly to record the statements of her parents, Kanjurmarg senior police inspector Nishikanth Viswanath Tungare told Express. The team is likely to interact with the AP Railway police who registered an FIR in connection with the missing of the woman. “We investigate the case from all angles to nab the culprits. We have obtained some leads after questioning more than 400 auto/cab drivers in various places including Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), Kanjurmarg, Bhandup and Kamatipura localities. The case will be cracked by nabbing the remaining accused shortly,” a Mumbai police officer said. The victim’s father, Singavarapu Jonathan Surendra Prasad, who met Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, AAP leader Yogendra Yadav, CPM Politburo member Brinda Karat and some others, and submitted representations, has returned to Machilipatnam.

By Moule Mareedu
moulimareedu@gmail.com

Anuhya's Family to Meet Shinde over Mumbai Police Negligence

As the Mumbai police continue to question at least five suspects picked up in connection with the mysterious murder of 23-year old software professional Esther Anuhya from Vijayawada, who went missing from the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) in Mumbai, only to be found dead and half burnt in a drain, her family members have decided to meet Union home minister Susheel Kumar Shinde in New Delhi and take forward their complaint against Mumbai police’s negligence in pursuing the matter swiftly. Her family members alleged that the delay on the part of the Mumbai police led to her murder. According to the victim’s father, Singavarapu Jonathan Surendra Prasad, the Kurla police had abused them and even indulged in character assassination of the missing girl when they had approached the police with a missing complaint. They said, the Mumbai police told them to first lodge a complaint with the railway police where the victim had boarded the train and bring an FIR copy stating that she had not gotten down in Mumbai. “Had the Kurla police responded on time after receiving information about my daughter’s missing incident, she would have been alive today,’’ said Prasad. Khaisar Khaleed, ACP, Mumbai city, had convened a meeting with the police  and directed to speed up probe into the case, two days after chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and DGP B Prasada Rao spoke to the Mumbai police in connection with the case.

By Moule Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Anuhya Abducted and Raped Before Being Killed on Jan 9

The spine chilling details of Esther Anuhya’s torture and death are slowly coming to light with the Mumbai police taking into custody five suspects including three cab drivers and two brothel organisers. Sources associated with the probe told Express Anuhya was abducted early on January 5 while she was on her way to her hostel from the railway station. “She was confined to a room in Mumbai’s notorious red light area Kamatipura for five days. She was beaten up and repeatedly raped,” the sources said, adding she was killed on January 9. 23-year-old Anuhya, a native of Machilipatnam and an employee of TCS, went missing on Jan 5 after alighting from the Visakhapatnam-LTT Express train in Mumbai. Investigators found that one of the suspects had made a call from one of Anuhya’s two mobiles from Kamatipura where women are trafficked from all over the country. Mumbai police sources said Anuhya got down from the train at the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus around 4.45 a.m. on January 5. Minutes later, she hired a cab to Andheri West where she used to reside. However, the driver took her in the wrong direction and after a few minutes drive, three more persons got into the cab. The sources said Anuhya had tried to call her parents or friends after suspecting the intentions of the cabbie and his pals. But the accused snatched her mobile phones and switched them off. They took her to a house near Kamatipura where she was confined for five days. “On January 8th night, the accused thrashed her brutally after she resisted their attempts to sexually assault her. She fell unconscious and remained so the next day too. That was when the accused took her to an isolated place near Kanjurmarg and murdered her by pouring chemicals and setting her on fire,” the sources said. “The last call from Anuhya’s mobile phone was made by an unknown person on January 9. Who made the call and who received it will be known during investigation,” said a senior police officer from Mumbai. It is learnt that the police traced the receiver’s mobile number but it was switched off. Then, they located the address of the person who had obtained the mobile number. But it turned out to be fake. The person had obtained the mobile number by submitting fake documents. The Mumbai police also recovered a blanket, slippers and other materials from a house in Kamatipura. Kanjurmarg senior inspector Vishwanath Tungare mailed their photos to Anuhya’s father Prasad. However, Prasad replied to the Mumbai police that the blanket was not his daughter’s. Some roommates of the victim appeared before the police to identify the slippers and other belongings. “I received a mail and phone call from Kanjurmarg senior police inspector Nishikant Vishwanath Tungare, who stated that they found some belongings. “But he refused to tell us from where the belongings were recovered,” Prasad told Express adding that his family members suspect the Mumbai police are trying to erase evidence. “They collected wrong details from LTT staff. Anuhya got down at LTT at 4.45 am but the Mumbai police recorded statements from LTT staff that the train had arrived around 5.30 am on January 5,” he said. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Bhandup Division, Mumbai, Sunil Madhukar Shejwal told Express they had intensified the investigation and formed a few special teams to nab the accused.

By Moule Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Sports and Dance Replace Cockfights and Gambling in This Obscure Krishna Village

Teacher-turned-MLC Boddu Nageswara Rao presenting cash prize to a meritorious student who secured top marks in class X in ZPH school of Penamakuru.

Unlike other villages in coastal districts, many youngsters who are well educated and professionals working in corporate firms in various places, are busy in making shuttle badminton courts, decorating the venues where cultural activities will be held in Penamakuru village in Krishna district. What more! Children aged between 6 years and 15 years are seriously practising dance for devotional and patriotic songs to perform on the venue. All these activities take place every year in Penamakuru village that comes under Vijayawada police commissionerate  to divert the attention of youngsters and students to games and cultural events rather than illegal activities of gambling and cockfights during Sankranti.  Having a big experience in organising such activities in the village for more than two decades, Bharat Yuvajana Sangham, a youth welfare organisation, is all set to conduct the 28th annual games meet at Penamakuru to mark Sankranti. ``A few years ago, many youngsters and children, clad in murky clothes, had indulged in illegal activities like cockfights and moodu mukkalata (rummy)  during Sankranti. Ever since, the Bharat Yuvajana Sangham started in organising games meet, we changed the mind sets of youngsters not indulging in illegal activities. They are totally changed now and participating games. Some youngsters participate in the games and cultural events and other take responsibility in organising those activities during Sankranti in Penamakuru,’’ explains M Raj Kumar, an MBA graduate and president of Bharat Yuvajana Sangham.  In 1980, former sarpanch of the village Mareedu Nageswara Rao had created the trend by organising such games and cultural events in protecting Sankranti festival and its tradition while preventing illegal activities of gambling and cockfights.    Attracting to these new trend in the village,  youngster who finished their high education in various streams and working in various corporate firms in different place in the state  and other places in the country have started a youth welfare organisation-Bharat Yuvajana Sangham. They have been continuing the games meet in Penamakuru to prevent illegal activities. To attract many youngsters, the Sangham members utilise social networking sites such as Facebook and keep uploading their activities. This year, all the villagers, students and youngsters will take an oath not to take part in or encourage gambling and cockfights during Sankranti. The pledge will be administered by educationists and village elders.  “It will be a cheerful festival for my family and others of Penamakuru. For every Sankranti, my friends and relatives are keen to visit my village to participate in games and cultural programmes. After the Sangham’s activities in preventing illegal activities intensifying, no illegal activity took place in Penamakuru. The highlight of the events are closing ceremony in which children, youngster hone their skills and perform cultural events. We will continue the trend in my village forever,’’ vows OA Prasad, an MCom, who works for a leading consultancy in Vijayawada. Director-general of police B Prasada Rao has directed the commissioners and superintendents of police to be vigilant against holding of illegal activities such as gambling and cockfights. Penamakuru village in Krishna district undergoes a welcome transformation and presents a pleasant scenario during Sankranti thanks to the efforts of a youth club. The pledge will be administered to general public, students and youth during Sankranti this year by village elders and educationists. The trend was changed by a former sarpanch M Nageswara Rao in 1980. This year, all the villagers will take an oath not to take part in or encourage gambling and cockfights during Sankranti.
By Moule Mareedu
moulimareedu@gmail.com

Dancer's Rape: Mumbai Cops Coming Today to Help in Probe

As the Hyderabad city police is all set to take up investigation into the gangrape of a Mumbai-based model in Hyderabad, investigators will begin their probe by taking the victim around the city to know the exact location where the offence took place. Being new to Hyderabad, the victim was unable to identify the house where she was gangraped by four persons. A team of Mumbai police, with whom she lodged a complaint, is arriving in Hyderabad on Friday to handover the probe to their counterparts here and also assist them. The 26-year-old Mumbai-based model, who arrived in Hyderabad on December 30 for performing on the New Year eve at a city hotel, was picked up by the accused from the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, driven to an unknown place where she was gangraped. ‘’The victim was new to the city and therefore is unable to tell where she was taken by the accused that night after being given drink laced with sedatives. Once we take her around, she may be able to lead us to the scene of offence,’’ sources associated with the investigation disclosed. The Versova senior police inspector Harishachandra Raghunath Parmale told Express over phone that the investigation officer and assistant police inspector Vijay Chouhan who received the complaint from the victim and registered cases left for Hyderabad on Thursday and would hand over the case to Hyderabad police for further investigation. When contacted, Hyderabad police commissioner Anurag Sharma told Express that the Mumbai police has so far not contacted him with regard to the case. ‘’Once the case is transferred to us, we will take up investigation,’’ Sharma added. Sources said that besides taking the victim around the city to identity the place where the offence was committed, investigators will also make enquiries with hotel and resort owners.

By Moule Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Mumbai Dance Girl Gang-raped in City on New Year's Eve

A 26-year-old girl from Mumbai was allegedly gang-raped on New Year’s eve in the city. The incident came to light after the Mumbai Police contacted their counterparts here Wednesday. According to police, the victim came to the city on December 31 to participate in a dance show for which she was promised `one lakh by the event organiser. Four persons, including one Ahmed Ali, received her at the Shamshabad airport and drove her to a house where she was asked to refresh. Later, they offered her a soft drink laced with a drug and allegedly gang-raped her. Before she regained consciousness, they put her in a Mumbai-bound private bus. By the time she woke up she found herself in a bus bound for Borivali. It was then that she realised that she was not only duped but also raped. She landed in Mumbai early on January 2 and lodged a complaint with the Mumbai police with the help of a local NGO. In her complaint, she narrated the sequence of events and revealed that the house where she was gang-raped was about one-and-a-half hours from the Shamshabad airport. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Shamshabad, Bhadreshwar told Express that they had received information about the gang-rape from the Mumbai police.  “The victim told the Mumbai Police that a person named Ahmed Ali, an event organizer, was involved in the offence. Minutes after we received the information, I contacted the night duty police officer of Shamshabad to know the details. The victim said in her complaint that she was taken in a car for more than one-and-a-half hours from the airport. So, the offence might have been committed in Hyderabad Police limits,” he said. The Mumbai police are likely to transfer the case to Hyderabad for further investigation.

By Mouli Mareedu
moulimareedu2gmail.com

Arguments Preceeded Uday Kiran's Suicide

Did actor Uday Kiran have a heated argument with one of his family members before he committed suicide? Even as police on Tuesday confirmed that Uday Kiran had committed suicide, sources associated with the investigation said he had a heated argument minutes before he took the extreme step. “Call records show that he made two calls from his mobile to a family member. We are probing the matter further,” the sources said. They also revealed that Uday Kiran, who was in the habit of having an egg and a glass of milk after his workout, did not have even a glass of water on the fateful day. And, contrary to reports, the police also confirmed no suicide note was found at the scene of offence. It is learnt the actor had conveyed whatever he wanted to his family members either over phone or in person. The actor’s sister Sridevi, who arrived from Yemen along with her husband, shifted the body to the Film Chamber in the morning on the request of the Movie Artistes’ Association (MAA). Members of the film fraternity, including Dasari Narayana Rao and D Ramanaidu, paid their tributes at the Film Chamber after which the body was cremated at a graveyard in Erragadda. The final rites were performed by Uday Kiran’s father NVV Murthy.

By Mouli Mareedu
moulimareedu@gmail.com

Did Actor Uday Kiran Attempt Suicide Before?

Did young Tollywood actor Uday Kiran attempt suicide earlier? Though police said they had no such information, it is learnt the depressed actor reportedly attempted suicide in his rented apartment a few months ago. Ever since, Uday Kiran’s alleged suicide attempt in his bedroom, his wife Vishitha began spending more time with him and used to be in constant touch over mobile phone when she is away. On Sunday night too, when Uday Kiran did not answer her call, Vishitha, who was away, suspected something wrong and asked her parents to go to her flat. On her return home, she noticed the body hanging from the ceiling and called the 108 emergency medical service and Banjara Hills police. Uday Kiran was supposed to accompany Vishitha to a birthday party at the house of a close friend of Vishitha in the city. He, however, managed to convince his wife to attend the party alone. When Vishitha left, her father Govind Rajan and mother kept company with Uday at the flat, watching a movie on the TV. Minutes after Govind Rajan and his wife left for their home in Manikonda, the actor took the extreme step. Govind Rajan said there were no disputes between Vishitha and Uday Kiran. “He was worried over his career due to lack of film offers,” said Rajan. It is learnt that the actor’s father VVK Murthy is living along with his second wife separately after the actor got married to Vishitha. The young actor, who got married against Murthy’s wishes, had a rift with him over property. Finally, the body of the actor was shifted to his rented house in Srinagar colony. The Movie Artistes Association (MAA) will shift the body to its office for paying condolences. Later, the final rites will be held at Erragadda graveyard on Tuesday.

Cops Told to Probe Actor’s Suicide

Hyderabad: A practicing advocate on Monday filed a petition before the AP Human Rights Commission seeking investigation into Tollywood actor Uday Kiran’s suicide. However, the Commission advised the petitioner to approach the police. It directed the police to investigate the issue. PN Arun Kumar filed the petition alleging that the actor was cheated by the Telugu film industry and faced discrimination by a section of producers and actors. The state government gives incentives to the Telugu film industry for making good movies. However, a section of people control the industry, he said. Uday Kiran faced problems in Tollywood and was depressed due to financial problems.

By Mouli Mareedu
moulimareedu@gmail.com

NY Began on Sad Note for the Family

IIT-Kanpur

The new year start on a bad note for a 40-year-old Armed Reserve constable who received a call from the student affairs staff of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kanpur saying that his 20-year-old son G Sai Kumar Reddy, a student of second-year B.Tech course in material science and metallurgical engineering, died after being hit by a train.The grief-stricken father, G Srinivasa Reddy, who visited Kanpur on Thursday to receive his son’s body, told Express over phone that he wanted to receive his son who was supposed to arrive at Ongole for Sankranti. ‘’My son was brilliant and had secured fifth rank in EAMCET and was selected for BITS, Pilani and NIT, Warangal in EEE stream. He also got admission to IIT-Kanpur. The new year brought me bad luck,” he said. IIT-Kanpur campus authorities confirmed that Sai Kumar participated in the new year celebrations held on the campus. Later, he went out. He was knocked down by train when he was walking towards a dhabha near the second exit gate. As the accident took place at midnight, no one noticed it then and it came to light on the following day.IIT-Kanpur student welfare dean Prof AK Ghosh told Express over phone that Reddy was a meritorious student.Kalyanpur police of Kanpur told the campus authorities that it prima facie appeared that the student was run over by the train.The railway police found a mobile phone near the mutilated body and the call data provided some clues on the identity of the  body. It is learnt that Sai Kumar Reddy had reserved tickets to his native place for Sankranti vacation. A 20-year-old Telugu student of the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur died on the spot after hitting a moving train near IIT campus in Kanpur on December 31 night. The accident took place when the victim was reportedly walking towards a dhaba across railway tacks.The deceased was identified as G Sai Kumar Reddy, second year B Tech student pursuing Material Science and Metallurgical Engineering, native of Ankampalem village of Ardhaveedu mandal in Prakasam district. His father G Srinivasa Reddy is an Armed Reserve (AR) constable working in bomb disposal squad in Ongole.The body of the student was found on railway tracks near the campus on the Kanpur-Farrukhabad railway line on Wednesday morning. A probe is being conducted to ascertain whether it was a case of suicide or accident, officials said. According to the postmortem report, the body was hit by a heavy object, due to which it is assumed that he might have been hit by a train accidentally. IIT-Kanpur student welfare Dean Prof A K Ghosh ruled out reports that he was depressed and may have committed suicide. The victim was an average student and was never involved in any conflicts with other students.‘’We are investigating it. A four-member panel has been formed by the institute, to look into the matter. It will submit a report within seven days,” he said. Parents of the victim reached Kanpur on Thursday. The Kanpur police handed over the body of victim to his parents. The victim’s father told Express from Kanpur that they have taken the body after postmortem and will leave to their native place. The final rites of the victim would be held at Ankampalem on Friday.

By Mouli Mareedu
moulimareedu@gmail.com