Gangster-politician Suri’s murder: Police search for killer

HYDERABAD - Police are still on the lookout for Bhanu Kiran, a close associate of dreaded warlord Gangula Suryanarayana Reddy alias Maddelachervu Suri, who is suspected to have shot the gangster-politician dead.

Police Tuesday denied reports in a section of media that Bhanu had been arrested or that he gave himself up. A police officer said they were still on the lookout for the killer.

Suri was shot dead in his car at Navodaya Colony in Yousufguda near Jubliee Hills Monday evening when he was returning home at Madhapur after meeting his lawyer. Driver Madhumohan Reddy alias Madhu, an aide of Suri, told police that he was shot at point blank range when the car was near Yousufguda-Jubliee Hills junction.

Bhanu Kiran, who was seated in the back seat, is suspected to have used a silencer gun to pump two bullets into Suri’s head from behind. He escaped after the shooting while the driver rushed Suri to a hospital in the same car.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner A.K. Khan said they were verifying the driver’s version as he is the only witness in the case.

Bhanu is suspected to have killed Suri following differences over sharing of money in a property dispute. Suri, who was shuttling between Bangalore and Hyderabad, was allegedly involved in property dealings.

Some of Suri’s relatives, however, alleged that his rival gangs bought over Bhanu to kill him. They suspect the involvement of Ravi’s followers.

The factional feud between Suri and Ravi had recently attracted national attention after Ram Gopal Varma made the multi-lingual movie “Rakta Charitra” on the four-decade long rivalry between the two families.

Meanwhile, a team of forensic experts at government-run Osmania Hospital conducted a video-recorded autopsy on Suri’s body, hospital sources said.

The body was brought to Osmania Monday night from Apollo Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by doctors after their two-hour long efforts to revive him proved futile.

Suri, 39, was the key accused in the 2005 murder of former Andhra Pradesh minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Paritala Ravi and also in the 1997 Jubliee Hills car bomb blast, which had killed 26 people.

Suri, a Congress supporter, was sentenced to life in the car bomb blast case but was released in December 2009 after spending 13 years in prison as the government had granted him remission.

Suri’s wife Gangula Bhanumati, son Harshvardhan Reddy and other relatives rushed to Hyderabad from Anantapur and they were allowed to see his body at the morgue before the autopsy began.

Dozens of Suri’s relatives and followers had gathered at the hospital as the police made massive security arrangements. After the autopsy, the body would be taken to Suri’s native place Maddelachervu in Anantapur district, where the last rites would be performed Wednesday.