Maddalacheruvu Suri Killed

Maddalacheruvu Suri is dead.

A convicted murderer (of Paritala Ravi among others) made famous in his lifetime as a hero in Ram Gopal Varma's recent Rakta Charitra, Maddalacheruvu Suri was attacked this afternoon at Navodaya Colony in the city (on the way from Sanathnagar to Yousufguda), by a follower of his, Bhanu, who was travelling with Suri in Suri's own car. Three bullets were shot at point-blank range into Maddalacheruvu Suri's body - one entered his chest, one entered his lower abdomen, and one was shot into his head from behind his ear.

The attack on Maddalacheruvu Suri (actual name Maddelacheruvu Suryanarayana Reddy) took place at 3:30pm, and he passed away at about 7:30pm in the Apollo Hospital. The doctors had given him slim chances right from the time he was admitted.

The police suspect followers of Paritala Ravi to be behind the attack. The driver of the car, a Skoda, is being interrogated by the police. The car was purchased on June 10, 2010, by a realtor Ratnakumar, and registered in Vijayawada.

Maddalacheruvu Suri was murdered just 3 days after he stated in an interview to NTV that his life was in danger, and that despite repeated requests, the state police had refused protection to him.

Considering that the murderer was travelling with him in his own car, the police assume that the attack and murder were planned by his own followers. The police suspect that a recce had been on for 45 days, and that the planning was happening at, ironically, the Cherlapally jail.

Maddalacheruvu Suri's murder has put the Anantapuram police on high alert, and Suri's residence is being heavily guarded. Even the Apollo Hospital is being guarded tightly, with the CISF also being pressed into action.

Paritala Sunita, the wife of Paritala Ravi, has refused to comment. Suri's wife Bhanumati is flying down from Bangalore.