TRS leader and Manthani Zilla Parishad Chairperson Putta Madhukar, who many believe is behind the gruesome
murder of advocates Gattu Vaman Rao and P V Nagamani, today spoke out on the matter.
Addressing a program at Manthani in Peddapalli district, where the grisly incident took place, he said that unlike what some media houses in the state were claiming, he had not run away from the area after the attack as he had "nothing to hide".
"I do not know why the media is targeting me. Several newspapers and TV channels are claiming that I ran away from Pedapalli after the unfortunate murder of Vaman Rao and Nagamani. I am very much here, and have been participating in several development programs as well," he said.
"I will react to the incident once the police are done investigating it, and the truth is out. I will hold a press conference in the state capital. However, the newspapers and TV channels have no right to defame me while the investigation is still ongoing, and cannot launch a trial of their own or make up their own stories. I have been singled out, and am being attacked by the media at the behest of the Congress. I will not tolerate such behaviour," Madhukar added.
Whispers about the TRS leader's involvement in the dastardly double murder have been doing the rounds ever since the incident took place on February 17. The involvement of his relative, Bittu Srinu, who was
recently arrested in connection with the attack, has only fuelled such rumours. This is because both Srinu and Madhukar had reportedly had several run-ins with the advocate couple.
Reports suggest that while the two lawyers had filed several cases against Madhukar, and one raising the issue of the ineligibility of his wife, Putta Shailaja, to hold the post of Manthani Municipal Chairperson, they had also said that they would file a case against Srinu for allegedly constructing a house on government land.