Driver Murder: IAS Officer Says Cops Asked 2 Crores

IAS officer G Venkateshwar Rao, Joint Secretary in the agriculture department, who was in police custody in connection with his driver Nagaraju's murder, alleged that the police had framed him with false charges for refusing to pay Rs 2 crores as bribe.

Rao was named Accused No 2 in the case. Currently he is undergoing treatment in a hospital after suffering a heart attack on Tuesday night when the police arrested him.

The police sent Rao's son Sukruth to remand.

Speaking to the media at the hospital, Rao alleged that one could imagine the situation of the common man in the state if the police could arrest an IAS officer under false charges. He said that the police had framed false charges against him though he had no link with the driver's murder, and that the Punjagutta CI had offered to clear the case if he gave them Rs 2 crores, but arrested him for refusing to do that.

On the other hand, West Zone DCP A Venkateshwara Rao refuted the allegations by the IAS officer. He said that the IAS officer's son Sukruth was the main culprit, and that they had arrested the officer himself only after collecting all evidence and interrogating him thoroughly, and establishing that he was also a culprit in the murder.

The DCP said that action would be taken against Venkateshwar Rao for making baseless allegations against the police.