Eluru: Police and NDRF Teams on Search for Missing MPDO's Body

Vijayawada: Police on Wednesday launched a search in the Eluru canal to retrieve the body of missing Narasapuram MPDO Venkataramana Rao as he is believed to have committed suicide.

The kin of Venkataramana Rao lodged a missing complaint with the Penamaluru police after they lost phone contact with him in the evening on Monday. The police registered a missing complaint and launched a search.

“On Monday morning, after Venkataramana Rao left home, he stayed in contact over the phone with his family members till the evening. The faily lost contact with him since then,” the Penamaluru police told Deccan Chronicle.

The police, after analyzing the CCTV footage, found Venkataramana Rao’s bike parked outside Machilipatnam railway station and him standing in line at the ticket counter to purchase a ticket and board a train.

According to reports, the police, tracking the mobile phone signals of Rao, traced his mobile signals near the Madhura Nagar railway station. “We lost the signal tracking at the Eluru canal. We suspect that he committed suicide by jumping into the canal,” police said.

It is learnt that Venkataramana Rao sent a suicide note through WhatsApp to his family members. He stated having received threats from a boating contractor, who has to pay due of `55 lakh to him. He also stated in the note that former whip Prasad Raju was troubling him and hence he wanted to end his life.

“Three police teams and two NDRF teams have been deployed to trace the body of the MPDO in the Eluru canal,” the police said.