Paritala Ravi Murder: 8 Get Lifer

The Anantapur District Court on Thursday sentenced 8 people to life imprisonment, for the brutal murder of TDP MLA Paritala Ravi.

The Court also acquitted 4 persons in the case.

Paritala Ravi was shot dead by his rivals at the district Telugu Desam Party office on 24 January 2005.

There were a total of 16 accused in the case. Of them, 3 have been brutally killed, and one has turned approver.

Following sharp criticism from Opposition parties, the then chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy ordered a CBI probe into the murder.

However, before the CBI could begin investigations, one of the accused, M Rekhamaiah, surrendered before the Mahabubnagar police. The next week, 8 other accused surrendered.

One of the prime accused, Joolakanti Srinivasa Reddy alias Moddu Seenu, claimed in a television interview that it was he who had shot Paritala Ravi dead.

But on 9 November 2008, he was killed in the Anantapur jail by his rivals.

The main accused in the case, Maddelacheruvu Suri, was murdered by his aide Bhanu Prakash on 4 January this year in Hyderabad for unknown reasons.

The court delivered the verdict after examining 133 witnesses, including Paritala's father-in-law Kondanna, in the case.

The court has convicted 8 accused - Hanumantha Reddy, Peddi Reddy, O B Reddy, Vadde Konda, Vadde Srinivasulu, Rekamayya, Narayana Reddy and Ranga Nayukul - and the approver was Rammohan Reddy.

4 accused - G B Reddy, Anand Reddy (Rice Mama), Ramaswamy and Patola Govardhan Reddy - have been acquitted. (INN)