Hyderabad: One of the three suspects who reportedly stabbed steel unit owner T. Ramprasad at Punjagutta claimed that it was a contract killing paid for by the victim’s brother-in-law V. Srinivas.
The three suspects reportedly surrendered before the Punjagutta police.
The initial suspicion was pointed towards Ramprasad’s former business partner K. Satyam. The two owned a steel plant in Vijayawada. When there were reports of fraud, Ramprasad booked a police case against Satyam and his aides T. Shyam and others. Based on this, Satyam and Shyam were arrested and Rs 15 lakh was reportedly seized from Shyam’s house.
Shyam, speaking with mediapersons claimed that he had been arrested in a cheating case booked by Ramprasad against Satyam. “I did not know why I was being taken into custody. Other cases were booked against me. I went to jail.”
During that time, he met Ramprasad’s bro-ther-in-law V. Srinivas who told him that he had been implicated by Ramprasad. “Srini-vas promised to give me Rs 15 lakh along with interest, amounting to Rs 30 lakh, if I kill Ramprasad,” he claimed.
He said he had run into losses in his water plant business. He took up the contract and came to Hyderabad along with two aides. Shyam recced the spot 15 days back, he said. On Saturday, he tracked Ramprasad all day and waited for the right time to attack.
At about 8.30 pm they saw Ramprasad leaving the office and going to a temple. When he left the temple, the trio surrounded Rampra-sad and Satyam stabbed him. When Ramprasad tried to escape, the two others attacked him, he claimed.
They drove away in a four-wheeler. Shyam got down at Khairat-abad and the others went to Vijayawada. On Monday, they surrendered to the police.
In Vijayawada, Shyam’s wife Vara-lakshmi addressed the media and stated that they lost financially due to the cases filed against her husband by Ramprasad.
Elsewhere, Srinivas denied the accusations of his role.
DGP M. Mahendar Reddy on Sunday midnight went to the Punjagutta police station and reviewed the investigation.
